Divine Destiny
by AquilaTempestas
Summary: Three years have passed since Team Rocket fell apart, but now they have returned under the leadership of a new ruler. While evil spreads, a young female called Lyra begins her journey and is destined to become the region's saviour, but it's not a path without obstacles. Lance/Lyra, game verse with a twist. Cover done by Nirianne! Frequent updates! Set over a course of three years
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Pokemon unfortunately

**Title**

Divine Destiny

**Summary**

Three years have passed since Team Rocket fell apart, but now they have returned under the leadership of a new ruler. While evil spreads, a young female called Lyra begins her journey and is destined to become the region's saviour, but it's not a path without obstacles. Lance/Lyra, game verse with a twist.

.

**Prologue: Vision**

"You have not proved your worth, Clair," the Elder said, giving the Blackthorn gym leader a steely gaze. "You are a gym leader and a gym leader you shall remain."

The gym leader pouted. She crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the elder man. "I am not going to sit around wasting my time for a worthy trainer, while there are other things I could be doing… like helping Lance find out who is behind the attacks on the Slowpoke Well!" she protested.

The Elder shook his head. "You are not strong enough, Clair."

Clair huffed. "Not strong enough? I'm the strongest trainer in the region! No one can beat my dragons. I haven't faced a decent trainer in months now!" she wailed. She turned to her cousin for support, but he simply shrugged. "Tell him, Lance! Tell him how strong I am! Tell him how I crushed the last challenger with ease."

Clair was a handful. She was indeed a highly skilled trainer, but she was incapable of controlling her emotions. If events did not go in her favour, the girl would throw a big tantrum and sulk for hours, only stopping when the Elder confronted her. She would always remain a gym leader until she learnt to control her emotions.

"You have yet to pass the test, Clair. You may be part of the clan, but you are not worthy of claiming the title of Dragon Master," the Elder stated calmly, his eyes boring into Clair's own.

Her eyes widened and her bottom lip curled. Lance knew what was coming next; an infamous Clair tantrum. "I _am _worthy! I will _prove _it to you!" She turned around on her heel and stormed out of the cave entrance, her black cape flapping behind her.

"Do you really think that is wise? You are only inviting her to seek out danger," Lance said, arms crossed over his chest. "You can't keep her trapped forever. She's going to find a way to become involved in all of this." Clair was determined to prove herself as the world's greatest Dragon Master, but she had yet to learn what that title meant. It wasn't just about pure power; it was about honour, loyalty and above all love and respect.

"These are dangerous times we are living in, Lance," the Elder started, as he limped over to the nearby table. "Reports of injured Slowpokes are making the news each week. You and I both know this cannot continue."

"Then I'll find the culprits myself," Lance scowled. "You say Team Rocket is behind this? I'll stop them."

The Elder grabbed his arm. "Do not be a fool. You may have earned the title of a Dragon Master but this is a fight you can't win alone."

"Hmph. I'm the Champion. I'm the strongest trainer in Johto and Kanto. I think that title alone proves that I am capable of defeating Team Rocket," Lance stated, a little harsher than he intended. He had only been defeated twice; once by Red and once by Blue. Blue was no longer an active trainer, choosing to become a Kanto gym leader instead.

As for Red, his whereabouts remained unknown. After defeating Blue three years ago, the trainer had simply disappeared. There was a rumour he was living on the peak of Mt. Silver, but that had yet to be proven. As far as Lance was concerned, he was the strongest trainer. "You should have a little more faith, grandfather."

"You will not be the one to defeat the Team Rocket," the man said curtly.

Lance snorted. "Have you so little faith?"

"Your arrogance will be your downfall if you are not careful," the Elder snapped. "Even the strongest of trainers fall."

Lance knew better than to continue arguing with the man; this man, his grandfather, was responsible in his rise to Champion after all. He had received a Dratini when he was beginning his own journey to become the best Dragon trainer in existence. It had been a long and hard journey training a Dratini, but the effort had been worth it. Dragonite, Dratini's final evolution, had become his best friend. "Don't mistake me for Clair, I'm nothing like her."

The Elder sighed and lowered himself to his chair, hands gripping the edges of the table to steady himself. In his old age simple actions such as sitting down had become difficult tasks. But his mind was still as sharp as it had been many long years ago. "There is a trainer I want you to look out for, Lance. She will be the one to defeat Team Rocket and claim the throne as Champion."

"Another one of your visions?" The Elder had been gifted with the ability to foresee the future. He could not see a future in full detail, but he caught glimpses of it. He had seen the return of an evil power. He had seen Lance's rise to the throne. His visions were not to be mocked. "Who is this trainer?" He sat down across from the Elder.

"Her name is Lyra, she's only fourteen. A young teenager. A late starter to the world of Pokemon."

"You are expecting someone with no experience to defeat me and Team Rocket?" Lance almost laughed at the absurdity of the Elder's statement.

"You were sixteen when you took the title of Champion," the Elder retorted, "and you only managed to obtain the title after Red resigned."

Lance scowled. He didn't like being reminded of that. It was a well-kept secret that only his grandfather knew. Everyone else, including Clair, thought he had defeated Red to earn the title and that's why Red had resigned. The truth? Red turned down Lance's proposal for a battle. He simply handed the title over to Lance. "I'm strong enough now to defeat Red."

"Keep an eye on this girl and do your best to protect her without revealing your true identity as Champion until the time comes," the Elder said, ignoring Lance's previous comment.

"I have better things to do than watch a rookie trainer." Lance stood up from his seat, preparing to leave the den when the Elder spoke again.

"She passed the test in my vision. You do know what that means."

It meant the girl had earned the right to raise a Dratini of her own, which in turn meant she had the potential to become the most skilled of all dragon trainers. She could even surpass him even though she had not come from any clan. That didn't rest well with him. It's just a vision, he told himself. What are the chances it will become a reality? "Fine. I'll keep an eye on her for you, but my priority lies in protecting the Slowpoke from further harm."

Without saying another word, Lance exited the Dragon's Den.

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I hope you enjoyed the opening chapter – the next one officially marks Lyra's beginning. As for the ages, I have heard that Lyra started her journey a little later and therefore she's not ten in this story. Reviews are greatly appreciated!


	2. The Journey Commences

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Pokemon unfortunately

**Title**

Divine Destiny

**Summary**

Three years have passed since Team Rocket fell apart, but now they have returned under the leadership of a new ruler. While evil spreads, a young female called Lyra begins her journey and is destined to become the region's saviour, but it's not a path without obstacles. Lance/Lyra, game verse with a twist.

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to WorldNerd12, 4fireking, WyldClaw and Architectural Oshawott for reviewing the previous chapter!

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**Chapter One: The Journey Commences**

Lyra could barely contain her excitement; today marked the beginning of her journey! She hadn't slept at all last night, her mind keeping her awake with dreams of Pokemon. She wanted to catch them all; water, fire, ghost… it didn't matter what the type was. All Pokemon had their strengths and weaknesses and a good trainer could overcome anything.

"Sweetie, your breakfast is ready!" Her mum called from the floor below.

Lyra was already dressed. She ran down the stairs, and skipped to kitchen table, taking her seat across from her mother. Her mother, a young woman in late thirties, smiled down at her, as she dried her hands on her apron. "Good morning!" Lyra said.

Her mother's smile brightened. "My little girl has all grown up! I can't believe you are setting off on your journey today…" She was still smiling, but Lyra noticed a tear drop falling from her right eye.

"I'm going to perfectly fine, I'll have my Pokemon with me," Lyra answered, standing up from her chair. She walked to her mother and wrapped her arms around her waist. This would be her last night in the comfort of home for a long time.

Her mother rubbed a hand through her daughter's hair, stroking it tenderly. "If only your father could see you now… he would be so proud of his little girl." She sniffed again, as she wiped a tear drop using the back palm of her hand.

It had been five years since her father's passing. He had been attempting to climb Mt. Silver when a freak accident occurred, causing a tonne of rocks to come crashing down on his head. His Pokemon had tried to save his life, but they too perished under the weight of the stone. Lyra pulled back from her mum, trying hard not to let tears fall. She had to be strong. "Ethan is going to pick me up and take me over to the lab," she said.

"Do you know which Pokemon you are going to choose?"

Lyra nodded. "Totodile, for sure." Totodile, the water type. Chikorita, the grass type. Or Cyndaquil, the fire type. All were powerful in their own right, but the element of water appealed to her senses the most. Besides, she found Totodile to be the cutest of the three.

"I can't wait to see your companion!" Her mother gushed.

Their tender mother and daughter moment was interrupted by a knock on the door. "That must be Ethan." She darted her eyes around the room searching for her belongings, only then realizing that in her excitement, she had forgotten to pack. Fortunately, her mother came to her rescue.

"I've already prepared for your journey, sweetie. I'll be waiting for you here! You should probably go now, don't want to keep the professor waiting!" She bent down and gave her daughter another hug, then ushered Lyra out of the house. Her childhood friend, Ethan, also a fellow Pokemon trainer, waited outside. He greeted her warmly, tipping his black and yellow cap slightly. A small round blue Pokemon with a white belly was standing beside him. Marill, Ethan's own starter Pokemon.

"Morning, Lyra."

"Morning, Ethan!"

Ethan's smile widened. "The professor's waiting. Come on!" New Bark Town was a very small place; there were only two other houses present. Ethan lived in one, and the other house was occupied by their friendly neighbour, Linda. Her son, Joey, had recently left on his journey and Lyra knew it wouldn't be long before she encountered him.

The lab was only a few feet away. It was the largest building in the small town, and the only place with a chimney. Lyra had been there several times before to learn about Pokemon in the foyer, but this would be her first time stepping into the lab itself. She was giddy with excitement. Ethan led the way inside the building. She was immediately greeted by cool air. She spotted the professor standing beside a round desk with a glass dome. A smile broke out on his face the moment his eyes locked with hers.

"Lyra, it's a pleasure to be the one to give you your first Pokemon!" He stuck out his hand, and Lyra accepted it. "Which one would you like to choose? Totodile, Cyndaquil or Chikorita? Take your time – this is an important decision," he explained, gesturing to the dome. Lyra immediately said, 'Totodile' causing a gentle laugh to leave the man's mouth. "It seems you have given this a lot of thought already." He pushed a red button, which brought the glass dome down temporarily. He picked up the ball containing the Totodile and gave it to Lyra. "Say hello to your new friend, Lyra. I'm sure he will serve you will in the journey to come."

As soon as her hands touched it, the Pokeball glowed. Shocked, she dropped it. The Pokeball emitted a white light, temporarily blinding all present. When the light faded, her newly acquired Totodile stood before her, giving her a happy grin. "I'm so sorry," Lyra blurted, falling to her knees. She embraced her new friend. "I hope I didn't hurt you."

If the Totodile had suffered any form of pain, he did a good job of not showing it. Totodile's scales were cool to touch, but surprisingly quite smooth. His teeth were still quite small, yet they were fully capable of inflicting serious harm. "Are you going to give your friend a nickname?" Professor Elm asked.

"I shall call him Toto." Not the most original name around, but it would do. Toto wagged its tail and grinned, showing its satisfaction for the name. "He likes it."

"Now that you have received your Pokemon, you are ready to leave for your journey. Your first stop should be at Cherrygrove City. I want you to drop by Mr. Pokemon's house to pick up something for me," the professor said. He grabbed a piece of paper, then scribbled something down on and handed it to Lyra. "This is my number. Don't worry about giving me yours – your mother already gave it to me."

Ethan smiled. "Before you leave, you should say goodbye to your mum. See you soon, Lyra!" Her companion said his goodbyes and Lyra nodded. She left the building with Toto following close behind. As her mother had promised, she was waiting for Lyra at the entrance of their house. She was there now holding a small, pink shoulder bag.

"I've packed the standard items a Pokemon trainer needs for their journey," her mother explained, handing the bag to her daughter.

Lyra took it and put it on. "Anything else I need to know?"

"Would you like me to look after your money?"

She nodded. She remembered Ethan telling her about the money system in the Pokemon world. When a trainer lost a battle, they were expected to give ten percent of their current earnings to the victor. It was wise to keep half her earnings with her mother for worst case scenarios. "That sounds like a good idea."

Her mother leaned over and kissed her daughter on the forehead then pulled back, smiling proudly. "Go and get them, sweetie!" She took a step back and waved.

.

Lyra headed back to the lab where she found a strange red haired boy looking into the window. She had never seen him before and wondered what he was doing here. She thought about approaching him, but decided against it. Besides, she had other things to do than make friends with this stranger. Ethan was already waiting for her on the Route 29.

"I'm going to show you how to catch some Pokemon," Ethan said, walking towards a grassy patch. "You basically just wonder around until a Pokemon jumps out. A battle will commence and it's your job to weaken the wild Pokemon until it can barely move. That's when you throw the ball. To improve your chances of catching the wild Pokemon, make sure you inflict it with some status condition. Ooh, there's a Pokemon!"

Lyra stood on the edge of the grass patch, and watched as a Pidgey lunged at Ethan's Marill. Marill used a bubble attack and the Pidgey countered with a tackle, but it did little damage. Marill attacked again, causing the Pidgey to fall over. The Pidgey was still conscious though, but very weak. The perfect moment to throw a Pokeball. Ethan hurled a ball at the Pidgey. A beam of red light hit the Pidgey turning into nothing but air. The light returned and the ball rocked back and forth until it stopped moving. Pidgey had been caught. "Oh, that's how it works."

"The more hitpoints the Pokemon has, the more resistant it is to being caught. Uncommon, rare and legendary Pokemon are also much harder to capture," Ethan added, picking up the ball. "I wish I could accompany you on your journey, but you and I walk different paths."

Lyra nodded. Ethan was more interested in completing the pokedex, rather than becoming a champion. The world of Pokemon opened many doors for trainers. Some opted to become scientists and researchers, others wanted to teach young people about the world of Pokemon. Some made it their life's mission to breed and raise Pokemon, and other trainers specialised in nursing the injured back to good health. And others, like Lyra, aimed to become the Champion and a Master of Pokemon. "I guess this is goodbye… for now," she said, giving her friend a brief hug. She pulled back and looked past the grassy patch. Cherrygrove City was only a short walk away. Grinning, she took her first step into the patch of grass. She was now one step closer to fulfilling her dreams.

.

She was still heading towards Cherrygrove City when she received a phone call. Answering the phone, she was surprised to hear the professor's anxious voice on the other end. "Please come back, Lyra! Something terrible has happened!" He hung up on the phone and Lyra felt her heart race. What had happened? She hurried back towards home as fast as her legs could carry her. The professor had sounded awfully stressed and Lyra hoped he had not been hurt. She had almost reached her town when a red haired male stepped in front of her blocking her path. His lips were curved into a maniacal sneer, his dark eyes burning with hate. Lyra stepped back, unsure.

"I just stole this Pokemon," he spat, pointing his finger at Lyra, "and you're going to be my first victim!" He threw a Pokeball out and a Chikorita appeared. "Take this weakling down, Chikorita!"

Toto jumped in front of Lyra, eager to defend his master. Lyra glanced down, met Toto's eyes and nodded. She looked back at the red haired male. "Stealing Pokemon is wrong. Toto, use Scratch!" She had always assumed her first battle would be against Joey, not a bullying thief. Totodile lunged at the opponent and scratched at its face. Chikorita cried with pain.

The red haired male hissed. "I chose you because I thought you were powerful!" he whined. "Get up you useless Pokemon!" he screamed, pointing an accusing finger at his wounded Chikorita.

"Why are you so cruel to your Pokemon?" Lyra replied.

"Shut up! You don't know anything!"

Lyra flinched. "Toto, use Scratch again!" Scratch was the only move Toto knew at the moment, but Lyra knew in a few levels time, Toto would learn a water attack. Toto lunged and struck again, leaving the Chikorita on the brink of fainting.

The red haired male swore. "I let you win this round, but next time I won't be so kind. I'll crush you next time. I'll crush everyone who gets in my way." He retrieved his weakened Chikorita and ran away.

During his escape, the boy had dropped his trainer card. Lyra went over to pick it up and found the name, 'Silver' at the top. She pulled her eyes away, looking in the direction the boy had taken. "I will never lose to someone like you." She pocketed the card, and headed back towards her home town and was relieved to find the place still standing. "What's the problem, professor?" Lyra asked, jogging over to the lab. She spotted a policeman standing next to the professor.

The cop turned to face Lyra, looking at her with suspicion. "It's said the criminal will always return to the crime spot… did _you _steal the Chikorita?" His eyes fell on Lyra's Totodile.

"What? No way. Professor Elm gave it to me this morning," she defended.

The professor nodded. "It's true. The Totodile was my gift to her."

The policeman relaxed. "I'm sorry I accused you, it's just there have been many strange happenings occurring recently. We have to be careful. Do you know who might have done this?"

Lyra remembered the strange red haired kid peering through the window earlier. "There was this guy with long red hair looking through the window earlier... I fought him recently actually. His name is Silver."

The professor shook his head. "The poor Chikorita…" He turned to face Lyra. "Never mistreat your Pokemon, Lyra."

"Of course, professor."

What a day it had been. Totodile had been at her side for less than two hours, and already she had defeated her first trainer. It made her wonder what the rest of her journey would be like. What obstacles would she face? How many trainers like Silver would she be forced to battle? What Pokemon would make her champion team? She healed Totodile using Elm's computer, then headed back outside to continue her journey.

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I hoped you enjoyed the first official chapter of Lyra's epic journey. I'll be sticking mostly to the HeartGold/SoulSilver storyline, but I will be making a few changes along the way.

In the meantime, be sure to check out 'Before the Fame' by WorldNerd12! It's also a HG/SS centred story. Reviews are much appreciated, as always!


	3. Battles, Lessons and Magical Shoes

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Pokemon unfortunately

**Title**

Divine Destiny

**Summary**

Three years have passed since Team Rocket fell apart, but now they have returned under the leadership of a new ruler. While evil spreads, a young female called Lyra begins her journey and is destined to become the region's saviour, but it's not a path without obstacles. Lance/Lyra, game verse with a twist.

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to WyldClaw, WorldNerd12 and The Fading Author for reviewing the previous chapter!

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**Chapter Two: Battles, Lessons and Magical Shoes**

The battle had left him fuming with anger. Stealing Pokemon was bad enough, but abusing one was even worse. Lance had watched the entire battle from within the surrounding forest, his trusty Dragonite at his side. If the battle had turned against Lyra, he was ready to intervene. Fortunately, he didn't have to. Lyra had successfully won her first battle. For a trainer who had just received her first Pokemon, she had done pretty darn well. No wonder is grandfather saw great things for her.

_In a few years she'll be strong enough to take you on, _a voice, which sounded much like the Elder's, taunted.

Lance snorted. Yeah right. "Let's go and find that kid," he said, looking at Dragonite.

The dragon nodded, beating its wings causing grains of dirt to fly up around them. Dragonite shared his master's anger, and was eager to teach that kid a lesson. He chose to stay off the main road though, not wanting to run in to any trainers. He was the Champion of the region and if he was seen casually walking around, he'd attract attention from unwanted people.

Lance was generally a fairly popular trainer, but like all famous people, he had his fair share of haters. Some claimed he did not deserve the title of Champion because he hadn't completed the legendary deeds Red had done. Fans of Red claimed Lance was simply keeping the seat warm until the one true Champion returned.

But Lance knew Red wasn't returning – he didn't even know where the trainer was, and if he cared about battling anymore. There was a rumour the legendary trainer had retreated to the peak of Mt. Silver, but Lance wasn't sure if this was true or false. Mt. Silver was said to be an extremely dangerous place, defended well by powerful wild Pokemon and unpredictable weather conditions. He had never heard of a trainer who had conquered Mt. Silver in his lifetime.

Three years ago Red had claimed the title for himself. He didn't want the title though and handed it over to Lance without a fight. Lance had tried to challenge him for the title since it was the right thing to do, but Red had refused. The trainer explained his reasons in a letter, stating Lance would never defeat him in battle because he was single-minded. Red believed a team focusing on a single type was doomed for failure.

Naturally, Lance disagreed with that – a team was only as strong as their master. If the trainer was a weak minded fool then the team too would be weak. Besides, he had proven by making it to the Elite Four that a monotype team could go a long way. He might have lost to Blue, but he had only been sixteen at the time. Now he was nineteen and far stronger than he had been three years ago. There was no trainer in Johto or Kanto that could match him in power and skill.

So he didn't have much to worry about.

"There he is, Dragonite." Dragonite growled, prompting Lance to smirk. "Let's go and teach him a lesson."

.

Silver dropped to his knees and bowed his head before slamming a fist into the ground beneath him. He punched the earth several times over until his knuckles began to hurt. He was a loser. A goddamn loser. He couldn't even beat a rookie trainer. A rookie _female _trainer. A tear threatened to spill from his eyes, but he managed to fight them back by punching the ground yet again. Pain. Pain brought relief. It distracted the mind temporarily from other thoughts. "I will _not _lose again," he spat, speaking through clenched teeth. "I am strong. I just _need _more power."

He glanced over to his Pokemon. Chikorita was wobbling, and barely able to stand on its four legs. It looked at him with pitiful eyes, and Silver felt an overwhelming surge of anger sweep through him. Weak. Useless Pokemon. Just like him. A loser. _No. _He tightened his fists. The girl had gotten lucky, that's all. Lady's luck… or whatever the hell it was called. Next time he was going to crush her. Chikorita needed a Pokemon Centre first though otherwise he'd be crushing no one.

He picked up his weakened partner and headed towards the nearest Pokemon centre, carefully avoiding other trainers. They were everywhere – and they would all be crushed by his hand as soon as Chikorita was healed. Then he could focus his efforts on beating that girl. Yes, that was a sound plan. He arrived at the Pokemon centre, stepped inside and hurried over to the counter. The nurse, a pretty young lady with a deep shade of pink hair, smiled at him as he approached the bench.

"Hello, and welcome to the Pokemon Centre. We restore your tired Pokemon to full health. Would you like to rest your Pokemon?"

Of course he did. Why else would he come to a Pokemon Centre? He placed his Chikorita on the table. "Yes," he almost snarled.

The woman jumped, taken aback by the sudden harshness in his tone. She gently took his Chikorita and placed it in the healing miracle box and pressed a big white button. Within a few seconds, his Chikorita had been restored to full health. She gave him his Pokemon back. "Thank you for waiting. We've restored your Pokemon to full health. We hope to see you again!" she smiled at him again, displaying her brilliant row of straight, white teeth.

How many times did that woman say that a day? He didn't say a thank you and simply grabbed his Chikorita and exited the building. Now where to go next? He had spotted a few weak looking trainers on Route 29, so that was probably a good place to start. Chikorita walked right by his side until Silver glared down at it. The Chikorita cowered and took a few steps back until Silver nodded. Satisfied. Pokemon were not friends. They were tools, nothing more. Only the soft-hearted and weak-minded made friends with Pokemon.

Not too far up ahead, he spotted a young male wearing blue shorts and a yellow shirt. There were dirt stains on his clothes and Silver noticed he wore his cap backwards. Typical signs of a try hard. Silver strode towards him, his head tilted forward. The kid looked at him, smirking. He reached out his hand and pointed a finger at Silver. "You're going down, chump!"

Chump? Silver glared. The kid was asking for a brutal beating. "Destroy him, Chikorita!" Eager to impress the master, Chikorita leapt forward with newfound confidence, staring down the opposing trainer.

"A Chikorita. How cute," the boy teased, throwing out his own pokeball. A purple rodent appeared out of the ball. The rat, which Silver recognized as a Rattata, hissed at Chikorita. "Rattata, use Tackle!" The rodent obeyed, and leapt forward with surprising speed. Fortunately, Chikorita managed to avoid the attack by jumping to the right.

"Crush him! Use Tackle!"

Lowering his head, Chikorita charged at the Rattata, then threw his entire weight against the smaller rodent. Rattata stumbled backwards, flinching from the hard hit. It tried to regain its composure, but Silver was too quick. Chikorita tackled again, and this time it was enough to knock cause the rodent to faint.

"Oh no, my poor Rattata!" the boy exclaimed.

Silver snorted. "Looks like _you _are the chump." The battle had made Chikorita stronger; there was now a confident gleam in the creature's eyes. Chikorita waved its leaf on its head around in a circle several times then hurled a few leaves at the trainer's fainted Pokemon. A new attack. Razor Leaf. Silver sneered. Perhaps Chikorita wasn't that useless after all. The boy cried, throwing himself over his Pokemon, protecting it from further harm. Silver held out his hand. "You know the rules. Give me my battle earnings." The boy nodded, handing Silver a few crumpled notes.

He cast the kid another hateful glance then pocketed the notes and headed in the direction of route 30 which was past Cherrygrove City. There was no point in spending more time with crybabies, and besides, Chikorita had gained a level. He left the weeping boy behind and ventured towards his new destination when another trainer stepped in front of his path. This trainer didn't look like the others he had seen; he was tall, dressed all in black and wore a funny looking cape. What a freak, Silver thought.

"Get out of my way unless you want to be crushed as well," Silver threatened.

The taller male arched a brow. "I don't take kindly to threats."

"Get him, Chikorita!" Chikorita nodded, standing in front of its trainer. The other guy didn't seem to have a Pokemon; or at least, not from what Silver could see. That thought quickly faded from his mind when a large shadow appeared over the ground before him. Arching his neck back, he spotted a rather intimidating dragon coming in to land. What the heck?

The dragon landed beside the cape guy, throwing a glare in Silver's direction. Chikorita seemed so small in comparison to this mighty Pokemon. "I saw how you battled earlier. You don't love your Pokemon."

"Love? Love is weak. There can be no love in war," Silver retorted.

"Pokemon are not tools."

Silver flared his nostrils, spitting at the ground before his feet. "Shut up! Stop trying to lecture me! You don't know a damn thing about me! I don't care who you are, but you will not stand in my way! Chikorita, use Razor Leaf!" Chikorita looked reluctant, but he did as commanded and hurled leaves at the dragon. The leaves simply bounded off the dragon's belly.

"Dragonite, use Hyper Beam!"

Opening its mouth wide, a glowing ball of light formed. Once the shape had been fully created, the Dragonite threw its head forward, causing a beam of white light to exit its mouth. The beam did not hit Chikorita or Silver, but rather struck at the space next to him. It was enough to throw Silver off his feet. He fell backwards and hit the ground, wincing as his head smacked the earth. Pain raced through his body.

"You will never succeed in anything while your heart is filled with hatred and bitterness."

Silver clawed at the dirt, cringing as another wave of pain came over him. He rolled over onto his stomach and glanced up. "You think… you understand me… you don't know anything…" He forced himself up from the ground, spitting out some sand. He wiped his mouth, drew his hand back and spotted red. He licked his bottom lip and tasted the salty flavour of blood. "You don't know me."

This time, Dragonite did not attack. It simply stood at its master's side death glaring Silver, although Silver knew the dragon would attack again if its trainer ordered it to. Judging by the powerful blast from before, Silver was pretty convinced the dragon would be eager to show its power off again. He was strong. Too strong for him now. But one day that would change.

.

It was hard to believe how much time had passed since she had defeated Silver. What felt like ten minutes ago, had actually been two hours. And what an eventful two hours it had been! For the past two hours, Lyra had been testing out Toto's latest move – water gun – on a few poor Pidgeys in the grass patches on route 29. She continued knocking out Pidgey's until Toto had mastered the move. Once Toto had, Lyra focused her efforts on catching a Pidgey and fortunately, she had succeeded.

Now she had a team of two Pokemon, but she knew she needed a team of six to stand any chance of beating the League. But who to choose? There were so many Pokemon she wanted to train. Ice type. Electric type. Fire type. And even the dragon type. "Think smart, Lyra," she told herself, "What did your father always say? Train a diverse team to cover your weaknesses."

She thought hard. How many special attackers would she need? Or was it better to focus on defence instead? Perhaps it would be smarter to focus her on special defence training? Maybe speed and health? There were so many ways to train her team to make the most of them, but what was the right path to take? "Well, Totodile is a water type, so that means I should probably get a fire and a grass type too. That leaves me with three remaining spots. Electric type, psychic and dragon? Or maybe dark, steel and ground?" She looked down at Toto for answers, but received only a toothy grin in reply. She giggled, patting her friend on her head. "You're right. I'll think about my team later."

She continued to walk along the dusty path until she came across a male with blue shorts. He looked strangely familiar… those dirt-stained shoes, the backwards cap, the smirk… "Joey?" she said. Joey looked at her. She noticed his eyes were red. Had he been crying? "Are you alright?" She moved towards him, but he stepped back, holding his arms out in defence.

"We have to battle, Lyra. Our eyes have locked." Joey certainly didn't look like he wanted to battle, but rules were rules and a battle had to happen. Instead of Toto taking the battle, Lyra decided Pidgey needed some battling time. She summoned her newest friend. Joey summoned a Rattata. "I'm not going to lose this time."

"Pidgey, use Sand Attack!" Pidgey turned its back to the rodent and kicked at the ground, flicking grains of sand in Rattata's face. Temporarily blinded by the sand, the Rattata was unable to aim accurately. It attacked, but missed by a couple of inches. "Now use Tackle!" Pidgey crooned, flapped its wings, and took a running leap at the purple rat.

Rattata could do nothing to defend itself as Pidgey knocked the rat over onto the ground. It struggled to escape, but the bird was far too quick. Pidgey tackled the rat again, successfully knocking it out cold. Another victory for Lyra! Joey dropped to his knees, jaw dropped open. "I lost again…"

Lyra wasn't too keen on Joey – the guy had always been an impatient, impulsive brat who seemed incapable of learning from his past mistakes. But he had come from her town so she had some respect for him. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Joey."

He looked up at her. "I can't seem to win battles."

"You should allow your partner to gain more experience before challenging other trainers to battles, Joey. How do you expect to win if your Pokemon is unsure of itself?" The Rattata was lying on its side, eyes rolled back in its head. "Rattata is your partner; it's your responsibility to make sure you treat your Pokemon with love and care." She reached down into her bag, and gave Joey a potion her mother had packed. "Take this. It'll help."

Joey took the potion, flabbergasted. "You're willing to give me this after everything we've been through? If I remember correctly, I used to tease you when we were little."

She beamed him a smile. "That's in the past. Let me know when you're ready for a rematch," she said, showing him her trainer card so he could write down her number. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm running an errand for Professor Elm." Before she could leave, Joey grabbed her arm.

"You're not just running an errand though, are you? You're setting out on the journey to become the best…" He squeezed tighter. "Make our town proud, Lyra! If anyone deserves to be Champion, it's you. I know you can do it."

She smiled again. Maybe Joey had changed a little. The old Joey would never have shown his appreciation for another trainer… or person for that matter. "Thanks, Joey. Good luck!" She said her farewells and continued walking down the path. She spotted to other trainers, but decided to avoid them by going through the forest. Toto and Pidgey hadn't had a rest yet and they were both starting to show signs of exhaustion.

Fortunately, Cherrygrove was just up ahead. This time she wasn't interrupted, so she proceeded to the Pokemon Centre, until she was stopped by a bald old man with thick grey eyebrows. He was dressed in old-fashioned clothing, except for his shoes which seemed brand new. How odd. He looked her up and down then suddenly smiled.

"You're new here, aren't you? Well, let me do you the honour of showing you around the place," he said. She was already aware of what the buildings were, but for the sake of not appearing rude she pretended to be clueless. The old man ran towards a building with a blue roof. For an old guy he certainly could run fast. She jogged after him. "This is the Pokemart. Come here if you need supplies for your journey." He then ran to a building with a red roof. "This is the Pokemon Centre. Always rest your Pokemon after a few battles; they'll appreciate you more."

He ran away again, this time stopping in front of a shabby old brown building. "What place is this?" Lyra asked.

"This is my place. It's time for my rest."

She put on a polite smile. What a strange old man.

"You can have my running shoes. They're still warm," he said flatly.

Lyra took a step back, and raised her hands. "Uh, I think I'll pass…"

A wide grin broke out on his face. "I'm kidding! I got a free pair of running shoes for you, so take them!" He dashed inside his house, and returned a few seconds later with a pair of white sneakers. "You don't need to thank me! Achieve your goals, young trainer! Best of luck to you." He waved then disappeared inside leaving a dumbfounded Lyra.

"Wow, that was weird," she said to Toto and Pidgey. Both her Pokemon looked like they were going to drop dead. Seeing their exhaustion made her feel tired as well. She stifled a yawn, placed the shoes in her bag and headed towards the Pokemon Centre. Although a resting place for Pokemon, sometimes travelling trainers slept in the foyer to catch up on some much needed sleep. She yawned again, eyes drooping slightly. What would tomorrow's events bring?

.

Dramatic chapter! I apologize if Lance comes across as a bit of a jerk in this – he seems like the kind of guy who likes to throw his weight around a bit just because he can – but don't worry, he won't be that cruel (*cough* manga Lance), he just needs to be put in his place. As for Silver, he'll eventually learn what it means to love Pokemon, but that won't happen for a long time yet. And Lyra's team will be based on the ones I commonly use.

As for chapter length, I'm going to keep them under 3000 words. Chapters will range between 2500-3000 depending on what's happening. Reviews are much appreciated, as always! Have an awesome Christmas everyone, I'll see you early next year with another chapter!


	4. More Gifts and a Dark Cave

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Pokemon unfortunately

**Title**

Divine Destiny

**Summary**

Three years have passed since Team Rocket fell apart, but now they have returned under the leadership of a new ruler. While evil spreads, a young female called Lyra begins her journey and is destined to become the region's saviour, but it's not a path without obstacles. Lance/Lyra, game verse with a twist.

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to sunburn preventing, WorldNerd12 and The Fading Author for reviewing the previous chapter!

.

**Chapter Three: More Gifts and a Dark Cave**

Exiting the Pokemon Centre, Lyra was overwhelmed by immense heat. The sun ray's were shining directly in her face, temporarily blinding her. She held her arms up to shield her eyes and wandered forward, stopping every so often to wipe away sweat beads from her forehead. Heatwaves like this didn't happen very often in this part of the region, but sometimes they did and unfortunately a heatwave had to happen today.

The heat dampened her mood, and she noticed her Pidgey seemed to be struggling. The bird looked lethargic. To protect her Pidgey, she returned her back to her pokeball. She tried to do the same with Toto but the Water-type crocodile Pokemon wanted to play instead. Toto aimed a Water Gun at Lyra, and she fell backwards from the force.

Instead of losing her temper, Lyra giggled. "You sure know how to cool things down quickly, don't you, Toto?" she laughed, patting her Pokemon's head. Toto wagged his tail and cuddled up against Lyra. "I would love to continue playing, but we have to visit Mr. Pokemon," she said, picking herself up from the now wet ground.

Toto nodded, following Lyra up north onto Route 30. She didn't travel far when she was stopped by some bald adult male dressed in a white shirt and green pants standing outside his house underneath a tree. His eyes rested on her for a few brief moments then he rushed over to her, an excited gleam in his eyes. "Ah yes, you are perfect!"

Lyra wasn't sure what to say, so she just smiled. "Uh, hello?"

"I want you to have something!" Before Lyra could say anymore, the man darted into his house then reappeared with a small brown box. He thrusted the item into her arms and explained it. "It's an apricot box! Here, you can have this apricot." He turned to the tree and pointed up, directing Lyra's attention. "That's an apricot. They come in different colours. Collect all the apricots you can and you'll find someone in Azalea Town who can turn them into special pokeballs!"

"Okay… thanks," Lyra said, placing the box into her bag. Did all starting out trainers receive such significant attention from non-trainers or was she a special case? It was all a little overwhelming. She hadn't even earned her first badge yet and people were already giving her gifts. "Um, is this the right way to Mr. Pokemon's house?"

He nodded. "Yup. Keep heading north. You can't miss it. There's only one path there."

She thanked him again and continued on her way. She noticed several grass patches up ahead, but spotted no Pokemon in sight. Perhaps the heat had driven them off? She was a little disappointed because it meant her Pokemon wouldn't gather any experience battling, but there was always tomorrow.

She spotted Mr. Pokemon's house up ahead and sighed with relief. It was _really _hot now and all she wanted to do was sit inside and catch her breath for a few moments. A cold drink would be nice too. She entered. It was a nice comfortable place with two floors. There were photo frames of various Pokemon on the walls and a torn leather couch in the centre of the room. An analogue television was placed up against a wall playing some channel about sport.

Lyra pulled her attention away, and called for Mr. Pokemon's name. A few seconds later, a man came rushing, almost tumbling down the stairs. He glanced at her and his face brightened immediately. "Ah, you must be Lyra! Professor Elm said you would be arriving soon. I have something to give to you and I know you will look after it well."

This was the third person, excluding Professor Elm, giving her something special. She felt like she was the chosen one or something being showered with gifts and praise. "What do you have for me?"

"It's around here somewhere… ah, there it is." He hurried over to a couch and picked up a basket. In the basket there was an egg. He picked it up carefully, cradling it in his eyes and walked over to Lyra. "This is a Pokemon egg. I would like to look after it. Eggs only hatch when they are with other Pokemon you see." He handed it over and Lyra took it. Where was she going to put the egg? Would it fit in her bag? She couldn't hold it the entire time. "You'll have to carry it. Don't worry it'll only take a couple of days for the egg to hatch. The more kilometres you walk, the faster the egg will hatch. Sometimes it helps to run back and forth for awhile."

An excuse to do some additional exercise, she thought. She wondered what Pokemon was in that egg. "Thank you, Mr. Pokemon." She was about to exit the house when he called her name again.

"Don't go anywhere yet – Professor Oak is dropping by. While you wait, why don't you have a seat and I'll get you something cold to drink."

Lyra nodded. She sat down on the leather couch and made herself comfortable, while her Toto sat on the floor. As soon as Mr. Pokemon returned with a cold orange juice, Professor Oak entered the place. Lyra sat up immediately in awe. This was the same man who started Red on his journey. Red was like her – a rookie trainer with no experience – and he had gone on to become a legendary trainer. Was she walking down a similar path to greatness? Or would her path take her down a different route?

"Lyra, it's a real pleasure to meet you. You know, I started Red on his journey two years ago," he said, giving Lyra a handshake. His hands were calloused, but his handshake was surprisingly gentle. "I know you will make Professor Elm and your hometown proud." He smiled. "Before you venture any further, I want to give you a Pokedex." He pulled out a red handheld machine and gave it to her. It looked a little like a GameBoy Advance.

She took it eagerly. Ethan had one of these already so she knew what it did. It recorded and provided information about Pokemon she came across on her travels. She placed it in her bag, and thanked the professor. "I'll be sure to fill it up."

He smiled again. "That's what I want to hear. Go out into the world, achieve your dreams and fill the Pokedex as best as you can! When you are done, show it to me and I'll give you a special gift. Good luck, Lyra!" He waved.

"Don't forget to take your cold drink, Lyra. It's hot outside," Mr. Pokemon said, giving her the plastic cup.

She accepted it and took a sip, feeling refreshed immediately. It was amazing what a cold drink could do on a hot day like this. It was just as effective as a nice massage. She said her goodbyes, exited the house and continued on her journey, her Toto following close behind. "I should probably go back and visit Professor Elm and show him the egg… but I'm keen to progress further. What should I do, Toto?" She glanced down.

The Pokemon gave her a toothy grin then hobbled over to the marker which read Route 31. Lyra smiled. "I thought as much. You are just as keen as me to venture further, aren't you? I'll call the professor later on and tell him the good news." Toto jumped from leg to leg in what Lyra understood as a happy dance. Together, they made their way to the next route.

.

Lance stormed into the entrance of the Elder's house, slamming the door behind him. His trusty Dragonite stood at his side, looking equally as frustrated as his master. He expected to see the Elder, but all he saw was his cousin, Clair. She arched a brow, giving him a mocking questioning look. "Your girlfriend called," she said, giving Lance a teasing smile. She sauntered over, dangling a pink letter in between her fingers of her left hand.

To Lance's annoyance, there was a big love heart on the front of it. It could mean only one thing – Marina was at it again. "She's not my girlfriend." He almost snarled the words. That damn girl just would not give up. Just the mere mention of her name sent a shudder down his spine.

Clair opened the envelope and read the letter. The sheet of paper was also pink. "Dear Lance. You haven't replied to any of my letters and I was worried they might have gotten lost, so I'm sending you another one. You are the greatest and cutest of all the elite trainers in the world and I'd be totally honoured if you would watch my performance this coming weekend if you are not busy. Please let me know so I can make the arrangements. Your biggest fan, Marina." Clair threw her head back and laughed. She continued to laugh until tears were rolling down her cheeks.

"It's not funny," Lance scowled. He stepped forward and tried to grab the letter from his cousin, but she jumped aside.

"It _is _funny! She is _so_ in love with you." Clair started laughing again, wiping tears from her eyes. "The trash out the back is full of letters from her." She glanced back down at the letter again, her finger running down the paper. "This is my favourite line. You are the greatest and cutest of all elite trainers in the world… ah ha ha ha ha!"

"Shouldn't you be at the gym?" Lance replied, desperately trying to change the topic from his love life (well, lack thereof) to something else.

She snorted. "I've finished for the day. There's no one worthy enough to challenge me. I'm the best dragon master in the world."

Lance glared. "Correction. You're the_ second_ best dragon master in the world, or have you forgotten about your dear old cousin?"

She stuck her tongue out at him. Real mature, Clair, Lance thought. "Fine. _Second best. _What's put you in such a foul mood anyway?" she snapped, turning her back to him. Lance bit back an angry reply. This was typical Clair behaviour. An argument was what she wanted.

"Where's the Elder? I need to speak with him."

She glanced over her shoulder, flipping her long ponytail over her left. "Meditating. I wouldn't interrupt him. You know how he gets when someone interrupts his personal time. You can tell me though."

He shook his head. "No, I can't. This is serious business, Clair. This is not a game."

Rolling her eyes, Clair sighed loudly. "You are such a bore these days. Ever since you became Champion you've been acting like you've had a stick up your…"

"At least one of us takes our responsibilities seriously," he retorted, feeling his own temper flare.

Clair's eyes flashed with anger. "I _do _take my role as a gym leader seriously!"

It was too late to stop the argument now. "I've seen you battle, Clair. You taunt your opponents, you claim they are inferior to you… you don't treat your opponents with respect." He stared her down. Clair backed away a bit. Lance continued. "And that's why you will never be anything more but a gym leader," he added quietly, doing his best to ensure he didn't snap at her again.

She kicked the floor spitting at the space before him. "At least I _earned_ my title. Unlike you, _dear cousin,"_ she sneered, knowing the latter part of her sentence hit home. "Yeah, that's right. I found out from our grandfather Red had given you the title." She turned on her heel and stormed towards the exit then stopped in front of a photo frame.

"Clair…" he warned.

She looked over her shoulder as if making sure he was watching closely then proceeded to remove the frame of the wall. She let it drop, pretending to be upset. "Sorry, my fingers must have slipped," she said. After that, she stomped out of the house.

Lance walked over to the fallen frame, bent down and turned it over. The photo was of his team and himself receiving the Champion title. He was the youngest of the Elite Four – most trainers never reached that level until they were in their mid twenties, but his team of carefully chosen dragon type (and draconish looking) Pokemon had earned him a place.

The photo was, of course, a lie. It had been taken a couple of days after Red had given him the title to prove to the world he had secretly defeated Red. It was actually Red's idea – after all, it was the only way to prove he had earned the title. The frame was broken now. There was a crack running down the middle. Shattered. That's what the rest of his life would be if the truth ever came out.

He picked up the broken frame and stood up then hurled it across the room, letting it smash against the far wall. His Dragonite flinched, seemingly confused, but quickly shook it off. His first Dragonite looked at him as if asking what to do next? "We're going back to the Indigo League. From now on, I'm doing things _my_ way." He wasn't going to take advice from Clair. Nor was he going to listen to his grandfather's warnings no more. No one had the authority to tell him what to do. He was the Champion. And that meant more than just being the top trainer. The region was in trouble and it was his responsibility to solve it, no matter what it took.

.

Route 31 was proving to be quite a boring route. There was only one trainer. A bug catcher called Wade and his team consisted of three Caterpie's and one Weedle. It was hardly worth the effort, but her Pidgey and Toto were eager to battle. The grass patches weren't offering much excitement either. The sun was still out, and the temperatures were causing Pokemon to seek shelter. Every once and awhile though, she'd come across a Rattata, but she wanted to save her pokeballs for a Pokemon she really wanted as part of her final team.

Eventually, she found something that caught her interest. There was a cave up ahead and a signpost right next to the entrance. She hurried over to the sign and read the bold print. "Dark Cave." She chuckled. "I hope I brought a flashlight." Opening her bag, she searched around for a torch but found nothing. Darn. Toto was looking up at her, looking slightly nervous. "Don't worry, we won't go too far in," she assured Toto.

Toto seemed to relax a little and followed Lyra inside the cave. It was indeed dark. Very dark in fact. She wouldn't be able to see her own hands if it wasn't for the light coming from the entrance. It would be wise not to stray too far, she thought. Not only was it dark inside, but it was humid and deathly quiet. She felt Toto's stubby arms wrapping around her leg.

With great caution, she walked a few metres north, walking further into the darkness. The further she strayed from the light, the more nervous she felt, so she turned around and quickly came back. Apparently, there were Zubat within these caves and she wanted one. Having a bat type Pokemon would be useful in dark places. But how could she catch one if she couldn't even see?

There was a flutter of wings. Lyra froze. Toto growled softly. Lyra dared herself to look up then wished she hadn't. There! A Zubat! It was hanging down from below looking directly at her. Or at least she thought it was. She couldn't locate any eyes on the bat. The bat bared its fangs. Lyra screamed.

The bat dropped down from the ceiling and dove towards her, its wings beating the air frantically. She threw herself onto the ground, pressing her belly on the cave floor and stopped moving. If she didn't move, perhaps the bat wouldn't be able to sense her. "Toto," she whispered. "Use Water Gun!"

Toto leapt into action, aiming a burst of water at the bat. The bat avoided the attack, hovered in the air and opened its mouth wide. Lyra frowned, unsure of what was happening. "Use Water Gun again, Toto." This time Toto didn't obey. It looked at her with a blank gaze. "Uh, Toto?" she asked. Toto turned away and walked around in a circle making soft growling noises.

Confused, Lyra pulled out her Pokedex and brought up information about Zubat. _"While flying, it constantly emits ultrasonic waves from its mouth to check its surroundings," _the Pokedex explained in Professor Oak's voice. Those invisible waves probably confused predators to allow time for the Zubat to escape, Lyra thought.

While Toto walked around in circles, Lyra summoned her Pidgey. Pidgey's eyesight was no better than Toto's in this area, but Pidgey was far more agile. "Use Tackle!" Pidgey jumped into the air, flapped its wings to gain some altitude and hurled itself at the Zubat. Zubat fell to the cave floor, as Lyra's Pidgey kept it pinned to the ground.

"Use Tackle again!"

Pidgey nodded, jumped off Zubat then charged again. Before Zubat could gain enough height, it was thrown across the floor, this time hard enough to knock it out cold. Lyra heaved a sigh then threw a Pokeball at the poor bat. The ball rocked to the right, the left then the right again before it paused. Three seconds… two seconds… one second… success! Zubat had been caught.

"We did it!" Lyra cheered, standing up from the ground. Pidgey flapped its wings then came down to land. Toto's confusion ceased and the young crocodile looked at Lyra apologetically. "It's alright, Toto. It's not your fault." She picked up the Pokeball and placed it in her bag. Now she had three, and keeping them all in the bag didn't seem like such a good idea anymore. She needed a belt to wear, one which could hold her team of six.

Pidgey and Toto ceased their celebration dance. They both froze. Noticing their sudden stance, Lyra too froze. She slowly glanced over her shoulder, squinting into the darkness. Out of nowhere, a whole colony of Zubat's appeared. "Run!" Lyra yelled, dashing towards the light. Pidgey and Toto made frightened noises and followed Lyra towards the entrance.

She threw herself out of the cave, and landed on the grass outside. Pidgey and Toto landed beside her. "That was too close to comfort, I'm not going back in there again without a light next time," Lyra said, panting, as she rolled over onto her back. Then she laughed. "But it wasn't a waste. I caught a Zubat." She held her newest companion's Pokeball in the air, and smiled. She was halfway there in finalizing her team. Her next stop was Violet City.

.

I can't recall if I ever mentioned Lyra's age, but she is 14 when she begins her journey. She'll be 17 when she finishes. As for Lance and Clair, Clair is 16 (the supposed bratty age, lol) and she'll be 19 when the story is over. Lance is currently 19 and he'll be 22 by the end of it. I hope that clears up any age confusion – seems I forgot to mention that part, sorry.

Anyway as for the chapter, I hoped you liked it! There's a lot more to cover than what I had originally thought, so I've had to hold stuff off (like Azalea City) until the next chapter to keep within my word limit. And I hoped you liked the Lance and Clair interaction! I do apologize if Lance comes across as a bit of a jerk, but I promise, it's all crucial to the plot and the lead up to the final moment between Lyra and Lance.

See you soon! Reviews are much appreciated, as always!


	5. Bellsprouts and Slowpoke

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Pokemon unfortunately

**Title**

Divine Destiny

**Summary**

Three years have passed since Team Rocket fell apart, but now they have returned under the leadership of a new ruler. While evil spreads, a young female called Lyra begins her journey and is destined to become the region's saviour, but it's not a path without obstacles. Lance/Lyra, game verse with a twist.

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to sunburn preventing and The Fading Author for reviewing the previous chapter!

.

**Chapter Four: Bellsprouts and Slowpoke**

After leaving the Dark Cave, Lyra continued onwards on the path towards the next city. Violet City. There were no trainers on this path which Lyra was thankful for. The episode in the Dark Cave had been exciting, but quite tiring. She bypassed more trees and eventually spotted the signpost reading, 'Violet City'.

This city was large – twice the size of New Bark Town, in fact. Unlike her hometown, there were no grass patches here. The ground was covered in beautiful coloured grey tiles, giving the city quite a magnificent grand feeling. There was even a lake nearby, with a bridge connecting to a tall three floored tower. She spotted the Pokemon Centre to her right, and in the background, she spotted the gym and the Pokemart. There was another building behind it and the signpost at the front read, 'Trainers' School'. Interesting.

She walked around the city some more, and spotted two other routes. One led to Route 32, and the west path led to Route 36. She wasn't quite sure which path to take yet, but there was no point in thinking about that for the time being. Take on the gym now? Or take on Sprout Tower? Perhaps she ought to explore Route 32 to catch some other Pokemon? If she caught another one now, she could use Sprout Tower to train them.

That sounded like the most reasonable plan, but first a trip to the Pokemon Centre was needed. She went inside and spotted a lady behind the counter who looked very familiar to the one in Cherrygrove. Did all the assistants look the same? Weird. She shook her head, walked up to the counter and handed her Pokemon over to the nurse. A few minutes passed, and she soon had her team back in her possession.

It was time to head to Route 32 to catch her next Pokemon. She walked through the route gate, and exited soon afterwards. There was a path of grass to her immediate right and she ventured into it. She couldn't see any Pokemon in the long grass, but Totodile seemed to have caught the scent of something. Following her trusty little sidekick, she soon came across a cute little blue sheep eating grass.

She pulled out her Pokedex. _"Mareep. If static electricity builds in its body, its fleece doubles in volume. Touching it will shock you." _Mareep sounded like a powerful Pokemon to have. An electrical type Pokemon would be useful for tackling any water type Pokemon in the future. Besides, it was also adorable. She knew she just had to have it.

"Zubat!"

Zubat popped out of its Pokeball and hovered in the air. Lyra was a little unsure if Zubat could function properly during daylight, but the bat seemed to be doing quite fine. "Use Supersonic!" The bat obliged and emitted its confusion attack. Unfortunately, the sheep avoided the attack, moving away to graze on some other grass.

"Leech Seed!" she declared.

A small tiny seed burst from the bat's mouth, landing on the Mareep's head. The Mareep didn't even flinch. Well, that was useless, thought Lyra. Zubat's other move was Astonish, but that did little damage as well. The Mareep was still ignoring her, finding the grass far more fascinating than some Zubat and its trainer.

"Sorry, Zubat. Maybe next time." She recalled her Zubat then brought out her Pidgey. Flying types were weak to electrical types, but she hoped Pidgey's speed would give her the upper hand. "Pidgey, use Tackle!" The little squat Pidgey gained some altitude, then threw its body against the Mareep. Now the sheep was enraged. Tiny electrical bolts radiated from its fleece.

The Mareep counter-attacked with its own Tackle, throwing Lyra's Pidgey off balance. Pidgey toppled backwards, but regained its composure and took to the air again. Lyra used Tackle again, managing to land a blow on the sheep's head. A critical hit! Lyra threw a fist into the air cheering loudly. But the battle had not been won yet. "Use Tackle again!"

Pidgey used the same move for a third time causing the Mareep to tremble. The sheep was low on energy now. It was the right moment to throw a pokeball. Lyra threw a ball. This was her third one – only two pokeballs remained. White light covered the Mareep. The ball rocked back and forth. Right. Left. Then right again. The suspense was unnerving. Then… Success! Mareep had been caught!

Only two spots remained on her team. Well, technically it was three because she didn't plan on taking Pidgey all the way to the end. Only one flying type was needed and that spot was taken by Zubat. Time to head back to the Pokemon Centre then it was time to take on the Sprout Tower challenge.

.

It was breeding season for Slowpoke and they often came to the Slowpoke Well in Azalea Town to raise families. It was the perfect place for them – the well was dimly lit and damp, turning off all but daring trainers away from the well. But Lance hadn't come here to observe the mating habits of the Slowpoke. No, he had come here to find the culprits responsible for the injured Slowpoke. The Elder believed Team Rocket was behind it, but the old man had no prove aside from his visions. Perhaps he had gotten mistaken with another evil organization?

He climbed down the ladder and headed inside the entrance to cave, wrapping his cloak around him. Water fell on his head as he walked in, but he was not worried. Dragonite followed behind his master as they wandered deeper into the cave. It was hot. Really _stinking_ hot. It did not help he was wearing all black, making the heat much more unbearable.

His Dragonite on the other hand, seemed to enjoy the temperature. That was one negative to being a Dragon Master – he had to train often in hot weather otherwise his cold-blooded team of Pokemon would be dramatically weakened. It was why Ice type moves did so much damage to them. No matter how many times he trained in the hot sun, he never seemed to be able to adapt.

He wiped away a few sweat beads then started to fan himself as they delved deeper yet into the well. A refreshing, but powerful, cool gust of wind blew in from behind, which almost knocked him over. He cursed, then turned around and noticed his Dragonite was flapping his wings to keep his master cool. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, Dragonite, but there's no need to do this. I'll manage."

Dragonite frowned, not at all convinced, but ceased his flapping. They entered a brighter part of the cave. That was strange. This part was further down, yet the light was stronger here? Before he could investigate further, he heard the moans of Slowpoke fill the air. Pained, mournful cries, as if the Slowpoke themselves were singing a slow, sad symphony.

One of the said Slowpokes bumped into his leg. Lance looked down and found a pregnant Slowpoke gazing up at him. She was barely able to walk, having to drag her round body across the floor. There were purple bruises all over her body, and her tail was hanging loosely by a mere flap of skin. A trail of blood stretched across the ground. The Slowpoke moaned again, looking at him with pleading eyes.

There was nothing he could do to help the Slowpoke. He hated himself for being so useless. The Slowpoke was dying and nothing could save her. A quick merciful death was all that he could grant her. "Dragonite…" he started, gazing up at the dragon, "You know what needs to be done." Dragonite looked at Lance then shook his head. He stepped in front of the dying Slowpoke. Lance sighed. "If I could save the Slowpoke I would, but I can't and you know that."

A few moments of inactivity passed until the Dragonite obeyed. With a quick, but powerful, swipe of his claw, the Dragonite struck the Slowpoke killing it instantly. Lance hated for this to happen. It pained him greatly, but he could see no other option. Deformed Slowpoke had no chance of success in the wild and no trainer would want to burden themselves with a wounded one.

"Who dares enters the Slowpoke Well?" a voice called out.

Lance turned around and spotted a man and a woman run up to him. They were both a head shorter than himself and dressed in tight black clothing. There was a large 'R' imprinted on their shirts. Team Rocket? It would make sense considering the situation. Villains were attracted to dark places and trouble followed them everywhere. But hadn't Red defeated Team Rocket three years ago and shut down their operations?

The woman stepped forward, dark black curls falling around her head. She trained a steely dark gaze on him and pointed a finger. "He's snooping around. We ought to put him in his place," the woman sneered, reaching down to grab a pokeball.

Lance didn't take kindly to threats, especially from a duo of murderous thieves. "Dragonite… teach these fools a lesson they won't soon forget," he replied coolly. Dragonite stepped forward, eager to leap into action.

"A Dragonite, how cute," the woman sneered. She reached down to her belt, grabbed a pokeball and threw it a few feet in front of her. A Zubat appeared.

Lance snorted. "A Zubat? Don't insult me."

"Julia! What are you doing?" a sharp female voice snapped from behind. The Team Rocket grunt, Julia froze then turned around. A tall slender woman with short red hair stepped in between the two grunts, her eyes narrowed in what appeared to be disgust. She was wearing white clothes; Lance had a feeling it was to indicate rank.

"Ariana!" Julia bowed her head. "He was snooping around. I thought I could stop him." Her male companion remained silent, bowing his head respectfully. Whoever this woman was, it was obvious she was in status of power.

"Do you not know who this is? Do you honestly expect to win against the Champion, the Dragon Master, Lance? Get out of here and return to base before I tell our leader about your incompetence," Ariana snapped, pointing towards the exit. Julia recalled her Pokemon, and exited the cave with her partner. Once they had left, Ariana turned to Lance. She lifted her hands and smiled. "It's a beautiful sight, isn't it? This is Team Rocket's handiwork."

"You are causing the deaths of Slowpoke," Lance snarled. "Cutting off their tails… leaving them here to die… and for what? Money?"

Her grin widened. "I don't have to tell you anything about our plans. All you need to know is there is nothing you can do to defeat us. We're back, and we're stronger than ever. Surrender now and we'll be nice. Refuse… and well… you'll find out soon enough. What's it going to be, _champion?_" she taunted.

He suppressed a growl. "Leave."

"Oh, I don't think so. We're not done here yet," she jeered, wagging a finger. "But he will be done soon and then we can leave." She reached down to her belt for a pokeball and threw it out onto the ground. A purple cobra appeared, its forked tongue flicking out of its mouth every few seconds. "Arbok, use Ice Fang!" The snake rushed towards Dragonite, its fangs turning into temporary icicles.

"Dragonite, Dragon Rush!" Lance ordered. Dragonite lowered its head then rushed forward, slamming into the cobra. Unfortunately for Dragonite, the Arbok managed to sink its fangs into the Dragonite's neck. Dragonite howled; ice moves did major damage to a dragon. "Hyper Beam!" he commanded, holding his ground.

Dragonite recovered from the attack, and threw the snake off, then hurled a glowing beam in its direction. The snake was thrown across the room. Lance felt a brief moment of satisfaction. No more Arbok to worry about. But what was this? Ariana was… laughing? He felt a stab of annoyance. "You sure do like to throw your weight around, don't you, _champion?_ Another move like that and you'll bring the whole place down," she said, arching her neck back to look up at the roof. She was right. He spotted a few stalactites tremble slightly from the ceiling. Another powerful move and they would fall. This was potentially a dangerous situation.

.

Entering the tower was like walking into a graveyard. It was awfully quiet, somewhat chilling yet oddly relaxing. Eerie music played, and Lyra wondered where the sound was coming from. She saw no speakers but suspected there were speakers hiding up in the corners somewhere. At least it was nice and cool inside which was a pleasant change from the heat outside.

She spotted an elderly man wearing robes nearby and walked over to introduce herself. "I'm Lyra, and I'm ready to take on the Sprout Tower challenge!"

The man nodded. "Fight your way through the tower and you'll earn a prize at the end. Good luck to you. Climb the tower to begin," he said, pointing to the nearby ladder.

Lyra nodded, placing her hands and feet on the rungs. She started to climb upwards until she finally reached the first level. A sage, who looked identical to the one at the entrance, awaited her. She found a name badge. Sage Nico. "I will test you and your Pokemon." He summoned his Pokemon – a Bellsprout. What a strange looking plant, Lyra thought.

She allowed Toto to take the first battle, but regretted that immediately when Bellsprout used a Razor Leaf. Toto yelped, and squeezed his eyes shut, wincing from the pain. Lyra cursed herself for her moment of stupidity. Grass was weak against water. She withdrew Toto and summoned Zubat instead. Zubat was still incredibly weak, but she was going to persevere with him.

"Use Astonish!"

The Bellsprout winced, but didn't seem that affected by it. It countered with Razor Leaf which little damage. This was going to be a long battle, Lyra thought. "Keep using Astonish, Zubat!" And so Zubat did. The cycle repeated until the Bellsprout fainted. Two more Bellsprouts were summoned. The same cycle of 'Astonish' repeated until the other two fainted. Zubat returned to his pokeball, and Lyra advanced to the next Sage who was called Sage Chow.

Sage Chow, like Sage Nico, used Bellsprouts. Three Bellsprouts to be precise. Again, she used Astonish until all three were defeated. Zubat became stronger with each battle and Lyra hoped Zubat was close to learning another move. Sage Edmond was next. He too had three Bellsprouts. Lyra was beginning to get sick of battling Bellsprouts. So far she had fought and defeated nine Bellsprouts.

She suspected there were more to come which made sense considering the building was called Sprout Tower. On the second level she was pleased to note there were was only one sage. Sage Jin, who only had one Bellsprout. The battle was a little tougher than the previous three and she knew it was because the Bellsprout was on a slightly higher level. His attacks did more damage, but fortunately not enough to cause Lyra worry. Zubat once again triumphed. Now onto the third and final level. Being the third and final level, there was less navigating to do. The path was straight and guarded by two sages. Sage Neal and Sage Troy. More Bellsprouts, she suspected.

Sage Neal had one. This battle reminded her of the battle with Sage Jin, for this Bellsprout was equally as strong as the previous one. Zubat battled hard and gained Lyra another victory, but the bat was beginning to tire now after all these continuous battles. She brought out her Pidgey as she faced off against Sage Troy. Once again she battled a Bellsprout. Surely, this had to be the last one, she hoped.

The Bellsprout fainted. Sage Troy summoned his next one, and Lyra was glad to see it wasn't another Bellsprout. The Pokemon was an owl. A one legged owl to be precise, or at least looked like it had one leg. She pulled out her Pokedex. _"Hoot Hoot. It always stands on one foot. It changes feet so fast, the movement can rarely be seen." _That explained why it looked like it had one leg.

Hoot Hoot hit a little harder than the Bellsprout, but fortunately Pidgey was of equal level. Pidgey fought back starting the battle with Sand Attack to lower the accuracy of its opponent. Temporarily blinded, Hoot Hoot missed its second attack, giving Pidgey the advantage. It wasn't long before the Hoot Hoot fell. "Well done. Now you may face Elder Li."

The Sage bowed allowing Lyra to bypass him to face the Elder Sage. The man was easy to spot for he was wearing a fancy purple and yellow robe. Standing in front of him was a red long haired boy… Silver. Lyra almost scowled at the sight. What was he doing here? "I worry about your Pokemon. You do not treat your partners kindly."

"You are too weak! It was hardly worth the effort!" Silver said, sneering. "Give me my prize you foolish old man," he demanded, giving the Elder a hard stare.

The Elder sighed and gave the boy what he wanted. Silver snatched the item away and turned around only to find Lyra standing a few feet away. He stormed over, spat at her feet then marched off towards the exit. What on earth was that about? She shook her head at Silver's retreating figure and strode over to the Elder. This time, her newly caught Mareep would take the battle.

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"Fall back, Dragonite," Lance said. Dragonite looked at him, huffing slightly, but did as obeyed. The dragon folded its wings against its back and waited patiently for its next command. "Why are you doing this?"

A sombre expression took hold of her face. "To restore our pride. The former champion ruined us… he destroyed everything we worked hard for… now it's time for our revenge." A vicious smirk took hold of her features, giving the lady an almost maniacal appearance. "But you're not a true champion. As some say, you're just keeping the seat warm for the rightful champion to arrive. You will never defeat us no matter how hard you try."

He stepped forward, jaw clenched. It was one thing to hold back during a fight, but to be mocked by a member of Team Rocket? "You think I'm just going to let you walk out of here unharmed?" He paused then spoke further. "I will hunt down every member of your organization and destroy you one by one."

She rolled her eyes. She opened her mouth to fire back a response, but was stopped by a phone call. "Yes, I'm here as well, Proton. In fact, I've got the Champion here as well. You've got all the tails now? Alright. I'll head back to the base. What should I do about a certain snoop? Oh, alright. Understood." She put the Xtransceiver away then turned back to Lance. "As much as I'd love to stay here, I can't. The life of a Team Rocket Executive is a busy one. Follow me and you'll regret it." She entered the exit and Lance followed her. He couldn't save the Slowpoke, but he could stop them from causing more harm.

He followed her from a distance, occasionally stopping behind stalagmites to hide for a few seconds. She took a sharp turn right. He followed her path and took the same right turn which lead him into a narrow and a dark passage way. There was no light here at all. He stopped at the entrance. "Sorry Dragonite, but I need you back inside your pokeball. You won't be able to fit," Lance said, turning to the dragon.

Dragonite lowered its head, but resigned itself to the white light. Lance returned the pokeball to his belt and stepped inside the narrow passageway. He took a few cautious steps, stopping every few moments to feel his surroundings. He could hear footsteps a few feet away and knew Ariana was just up ahead.

"So you decided to follow after all? Guess it was better than just standing around like an idiot."

He took a few steps forward then came to an abrupt stop. He tried to move forward, but found he couldn't. Something had gotten stuck. He suspected his cape had gotten caught on a stalagmite. Dammit. Another ruined cape. He gave it a hard tug and freed himself, but in doing so, had caused him to topple forwards on a bad angle. A _really _bad angle. He landed on a rock. He was soon introduced to a new world of pain.

"I should've warned you about _that_ rock… must've slipped my mind," Ariana cackled, her laughter echoing throughout the cave. "Be seeing you, Champion… that is, if you ever manage to find your way out of here." He heard her laugh again, as she ventured further through the passageway. He was alone now; alone in a secret passageway in complete darkness with no clue on how to get out.

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I hope you are enjoying this so far! On a final note, I'm going to change the team. Instead of basing this story of my HeartGold one, I'll be using my SoulSilver one. Totodile will still be the main, obviously. Reviews are much appreciated, as always!


	6. Feathered Friends, Scaly Friends, pt 1

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Pokemon unfortunately

**Title**

Divine Destiny

**Summary**

Three years have passed since Team Rocket fell apart, but now they have returned under the leadership of a new ruler. While evil spreads, a young female called Lyra begins her journey and is destined to become the region's saviour, but it's not a path without obstacles. Lance/Lyra, game verse with a twist.

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to sunburn preventing and The Fading Author for reviewing the previous chapter!

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**Chapter Five: Feathered Friends, Scaly Friends, part one**

The battle against the Elder had just begun and things weren't looking up for her at all. The Bellsprouts had been easy enough to defeat, but that damn Hoot Hoot was a nightmare. The owl had immediately used Hypnosis successfully putting her Mareep to sleep. Zubat, Toto and Pidgey were also asleep thanks to the move. There were only so many potions she could use to keep her team in the match.

She clenched her jaw shut, keeping her arms at her sides. This battle was testing her patience for sure. It was not a match of strength, but rather a one of skill and strategy. Put the opponent to sleep, do some damage and put the opponent to sleep again when the opponent woke up. She regretted not purchasing any Awakening potions, but she hadn't thought her luck would be this bad.

Everytime Mareep awakened, it was put back to sleep almost immediately. Really frustrating. Lyra wanted to scream. How on earth was she supposed to win if her Pokemon spent the majority of the match sleeping? The Elder was watching her closely, judging her reaction. She willed herself to remain calm by taking in a deep breath. A test of patience, she told herself. Pull yourself together, Lyra.

Mareep took more damage from the Hoot Hoot sending its health into the red zone. The situation did not look good. She was down to her last potion now. Risk using the potion? Or save it for the rest of her team and allow hew newly caught Mareep to faint? She didn't want any of her Pokemon to suffer a knock out – that seemed too cruel, but she knew that was the way of battles. Sometimes sacrifices had to be made for a win.

She took a gamble and used her final potion to heal her Mareep, hoping the sheep would wake up to have a chance to counter attack. Of course, there was a strong chance it would be forced to sleep again but battles were about taking risks. As she suspected, Mareep awoke. Mareep looked himself to glance at Lyra, meetings its trainer's determined eyes. Mareep nodded, planting its feet into the ground seeming more confident than before.

"Hoot Hoot, use Hypnosis!"

Mareep managed to fight off the urge to sleep. The Elder seemed pleased by this.

Lyra threw her finger forward. "Mareep, use Tackle!"

Unfortunately, her Mareep wasn't strong enough to learn Thundershock yet - she knew electrical attacks did well against flying types. That was a fact she had picked up from eavesdropping on Ethan's conversation with Professor Elm one hot morning. Mareep lowered its' head and charged forward, throwing its body at the Hoot Hoot. Hoot Hoot toppled backwards, but regained its composure.

"Use Peck!"

Hoot Hoot hopped forward, and lunged at the Mareep. It struck Mareep on the head. Mareep cried out, small electrical sparks radiating from its body. Some of the said sparks jumped onto the Hoot Hoot, causing the bird to make a harsh squawking noise. Lyra pulled her Pokedex and opened a page regarding her Mareep. The Mareep had the ability to cause paralysis to an opponent if it was struck by a physical attack.

She couldn't stop a wide smile from crossing her face. "Use Tackle again!" The Hoot Hoot couldn't move and Mareep managed to land a critical blow against the owl. Hoot Hoot fell backwards and lay on the ground, unmoving. Lyra threw a fist into the air and cheered then rushed forward to give her Mareep a hug and received a weak electrical shock in return. "We did it!" Her Mareep responded with a soft bleating sound.

"Well done. You have shown me how tight your bond is with your Pokemon," the Elder said, as his Hoot Hoot returned to its pokeball. He walked towards Lyra holding a potion in his hand. The potion wasn't like any one she had seen in the shops – it was in a small round bottle which contained an odd coloured magenta liquid. Magical healing potion? "You have earned this TM – it's called Flash. Use it when you find yourself in a dark place. Teach it to one of your capable Pokemon," he added, giving Lyra the potion.

"A TM?" Lyra repeated, glancing up at him.

"Technical Machine. They are moves your Pokemon can learn that it might not learn when levelling up," he explained, giving the girl a smile. "You have proven yourself worthy of taking on Violet City gym. Go now and strengthen your bond even further." He bowed his head, and Lyra made her way back down.

Before she could take on the gym, she needed to heal her hardworking Pokemon and buy a few more potions. Then it was time to gain a bit more experience, learn some new moves before taking on the challenge. She would have that gym badge.

.

Fiery pain travelled through every part of his body. Even a mere attempt to move his arms from their awkward angles resulted in immense pain. He still couldn't see a damn thing and that wasn't going to change anytime too soon. His Pokemon were far too bulky to fit in this narrow passageway… and besides, he didn't have Flash.

He lay there like a cripple, struggling to fight off the pain so he could think of a way to get out of this stinkin' well. Nothing came to mind. He tried to force himself up off the ground, but that only brought on a new wave of pain. He was helpless, much like a Magikarp. Not exactly his ideal situation to be in.

A wave of nausea gripped his mind and he was half-tempted to expel whatever was inside onto the ground. Somehow, he managed to hold it all in. He could hear the voices of Ariana and a few other Team Rocket members echo throughout the place. Their voices were faint, but he could make out a few words such as 'Champion', 'not a bother', and 'Archer.'

Just then, he felt something vibrate at his belt. He reached down with his right hand, wincing as pain shot down his arm. Fingers opened the pouch, and grasped the surface of his Xtransceiver. He had almost forgotten all about that glorious piece of technology thanks to the pain. He did his best to answer it.

"Hey Lance, it's me, Koga. Just thought I'd remind you that it's Karen's twenty-first birthday tomorrow and you have yet to sign her card. So, get here as soon as possible! See you later!" Koga hung up on the phone.

Karen's birthday party. Naturally, he had forgotten all about that being so caught up in his own problems. The final Elite Four member insisted on having a party and she expected all the boys of the League to buy her something. If he didn't make any purchases for her, she'd refuse to do the cooking for the week. The girl was a handful; wild and tough, just like her dark Pokemon. He groaned inwardly.

He looked at the Xtransceiver again. He could give his cousin a call. As much as he hated seeking assistance from his prideful cousin, he really needed her right now. He hit the numbers and waited. After three dials, Clair picked up. "Clair. It's me, Lance. I need your help right now. I'm at the Slowpoke Well in Azalea Town. You'll find a narrow passageway off the normal path," he said. He paused then added, "It's… an emergency and you're the only person I thought to contact."

He heard her snort. "What are you doing there? Practicing your tough guy routine in the dark?" she jeered. "Sorry, you're on your own. I've got a gym to manage." She hung up immediately.

Well, that hurt. So Clair was still mad at him from their argument earlier. He grumbled, dropping his Xtransceiver onto the ground. Now what was he going to do?

.

Lyra had reached the entrance of the gym. The building hadn't been hard to miss, as it had a big fancy roof on it with a symbol of a pokeball on the top. The sign 'Violet City' gym also made locating the place easy. She was greeted by a funny looking man as soon as she entered through the doors of gym. He was dressed in all matching brown clothes and his eyes were shielded with a pair of dark-tinted sunglasses. Even his hair was brown, as was his beard. Strange man.

"Hey there lass! I'm the national gym advisor and I'm here to share a tip with you that will tip the odds in your favour! This gym is home to Flying-type trainers. I recommend you use electrical or rock type Pokemon for this battle. Good luck, lass!"

She didn't have a rock pokemon, but she did have an electrical type. Mareep had now learnt the move Thundershock and that was sure to tip the battle in her favour. At least she hoped it would, but she was sure the gym leader had a few tricks up his or her sleeves. She looked ahead and found a wooden lift. She stepped onto it and was immediately taken up to the upper level, where an 'S' shape path awaited her.

There were two trainers standing on the wooden platform which could be avoided if she chose to take the glass path. But why avoid useful experience points? She placed a foot onto the wooden path and made her way to the first trainer whom she noticed was called Bird Keeper Abe. The teenage male looked at her and smirked. "You must be confident to take the hard path over the easy one. I'm going to make you regret that decision!"

Lyra snorted. "Go for it, Mareep!"

Mareep stood before its master and stared down the opposite trainer. Abe grinned, and called out his own Pokemon, a brown small bird, with a short hooked beak. Lyra consulted her Pokedex. _"Spearow. It flaps its short wings to flush out insects from tall grass. It then plucks them with its stubby beak." _Sounded like a cruel avian. Lyra was thankful she didn't have any bug-type Pokemon.

"Spearow, use Peck!"

The small bird moved surprisingly fast. It quickly threw Mareep of its feet with a sharp stab on the head. Mareep's fleece generated sparks and the Spearow was immediately paralysed. "Thundershock!" Lyra declared. Small bolts of electricity struck the Spearow causing it great damage. The Spearow staggered, then fell over, its eyes crossed. Bird Keeper Abe looked stunned, but quickly shook it off.

"You got lucky."

Lyra recalled her Pokemon then moved to the next one. This time, she let Totodile battle. Her trusty companion was eager to fight and immediately jumped out in front of Lyra. Her opponent, Bird Keeper Rod, summoned his first Pokemon. A Pidgey. Pidgey's weren't that tough. "Toto, use Water Gun!"

A stream of water exited Toto's mouth, smashing into the Pidgey. The Pidgey was immediately drenched in water, and it flapped furiously to dry itself off. "Tackle!" The wet Pidgey tackled Totodile, but its move left hardly any damage. It seemed to be on a lower level than the Spearow she had recently fought. It was either that or her Pokemon were a few levels higher. "Use Water Gun again, Toto!" The second Water Gun was enough to knock the Pidgey out, but before she could celebrate, Rod summoned another Pidgey. The same attack cycle occurred and once again, Lyra obtained a victory.

"You might have beaten my friend and I, but Falkner is far stronger than us combined," Rod boasted.

Lyra edged away from Rod and continued to move forward. There was a young male whom she suspected was in his late teens, standing alone dressed in blue robes. Like the gym advisor, Falkner seemed to be a fan of matching clothes and hair. His robes were blue, his jacket was a light blue, and his hair was also blue.

"I'm Falkner, the Violet Pokemon Gym Leader! People say you can clip flying-Pokemon's wings with a jolt of electricity… I won't allow such insults to bird Pokemon! I'll show you the real power of the magnificent bird Pokemon!" he said, his eyes cold and emotionless. Did all gym leaders wear such a face or was it just a mark they wore when on duty?

She stepped up, feeling nerves creep up on her. This wasn't some common battle against another trainer. She was going up against a specialist gym leader one who specialized in the power of flying Pokemon. Falkner summoned his first Pokemon and Lyra wasn't surprised to see a Pidgey. That she could take on. She was a specialist in taking down Pidgeys and Bellsprouts having encountered so many on her journey so far.

"Pidgey, use Sand Attack!"

The opposing Pidgey sat down on the ground, turned its back to Lyra, and kicked at the ground flicking dust into her Mareep's eyes. Mareep was blinded temporarily, and it blinked rapidly, trying to remove the dust particles from its eyes.

"Thundershock!"

Mareep obeyed and aimed a weak bolt at the offending Pidgey, but missed by a couple of inches. "Sand Attack again!" Falkner ordered in a commanding tone.

Once again, her Mareep found himself on the receiving end of dust particles. His vision was even worse than it was previously. Lyra tightened her jaw, feeling sweat beads form on her head. If she couldn't even land one hit there was no way she could win. Return Mareep. Go, Pidgey!" She summoned her Pidgey, recalling her Mareep.

"Use Gust!" Gust was a new move her Pidgey had recently learnt during the training session after the Sprout Tower adventure. Pidgey flapped its wings causing a mini tornado to appear. It struck the other Pidgey blowing it away. The Pidgey picked itself back up, and flapped over to its previous position. Lyra inwardly cursed. It was tougher than it looked.

"Sand Attack!"

Darn, not again, Lyra thought. She was briefly reminded of her battle with the Elder of Sprout Tower and his annoying Hoot Hoot. Different moves, but a very similar situation. "Keep using Gust, Pidgey!" she called out, crossing her fingers hoping her Pidgey would land an attack.

Fortunately, Pidgey did and it was enough to knock the other Pidgey out for the match. She was curious to see what other flying Pokemon Falkner had. She didn't know of any others. Perhaps he had another Pidgey? "Pidgeotto!"

A pigeon that looked very much like an older Pidgey appeared before her. Unlike the Pidgey, Pidgeotto was brightly coloured, having red and yellow feathers. She turned to her Pokedex for information. _"Pidgeotto. The evolved form of Pidgey. It has outstanding vision. However high it flies, it is able to distinguish the movements of prey." _Evolved form of Pidgey? How come her one hadn't evolved? Perhaps her Pidgey wasn't on a high enough level yet. Oh well.

"Pidgeotto, use Gust!"

A mini tornado was conjured by the Pidgeotto. It headed towards Pidgey and struck it hard, landing a critical hit. Lyra's Pidgey fluttered to the ground. "You fought well, Pidgey. Now it's your turn, Zubat!"

The blind bat hovered in the air, flapping its wings frantically. This was a risk putting out a Zubat since her one had yet to learn anything other than Leech Seed. Needless to say, she was not at all surprised when the Pidgeotto took her Zubat down with one Gust. Now she had two left – Toto and Mareep.

"Mareep, it's your turn!" Mareep returned to the battlefield. It eyed the Pidgeotto, its eyes narrowed as if it were angry at the bird for fainting Mareep's friends. Lyra planned to use Thundershock but the Pidgeotto was faster. Much faster than the poor sheep. Gust hit hard and yet again, Lyra was to watch in horror as her sheep fell. It was now one of those times she wished she had a rock type with her.

"Do you see it now, the power of bird pokemon!" Falkner said. It wasn't a question; it was more of a statement. Lyra nodded in agreement. Their power was immense. To think this was her first gym! The other gym leaders were going to be much tougher than this which was a frightening thought.

"It's up to you, Toto," Lyra whispered. Toto, who had been standing at her side the entire time, leapt forward into battle.

"Gust!"

Again, the bird created a mini tornado. The force of the wind pushed Toto and Lyra back a few inches. Lyra had to plant her feet firmly in the ground and crouch her knees slightly just to hold her position. Her hair flew around her head, clawing at her face. "Use Water Gun, Toto!" Toto sent forth a stream of water which struck Pigeotto square in the chest. Unfortunately, it hardly looked to have done any damage, other than giving the bird a good soaking.

"Finish the challenger off with a Tackle!"

And for the first time since leaving for her journey, Lyra suffered a defeat.

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An hour has passed and Lance was still in the well and still feeling sore. The pain had eased slightly, reducing to a dull throbbing pain as opposed to a sharp fiery one. It was rather unpleasant and any form of movement still hurt. He was about to call one of the Elite Four members to come down and get him when he heard Clair's voice. "Lance? Is that you in there?"

He had never been so happy to hear her voice. "Yes." He winced, as white light filled the cave. At least Clair had been smart enough to carry a flash light. She shined it on him now and almost laughed. He assumed he must've looked rather ridiculous lying there on the ground like that with a torn cape.

"I wasn't going to come down, you know… I'm still mad at you, but here I am." She wandered over to him and knelt down. "Why are you here anyway?"

Telling Clair about Team Rocket's return wasn't a wise thing to do. She was impulsive, highly emotional and arrogant. She'd chase after them herself with or without permission and get herself into a lot of trouble. But she _had _come all this way to help him. "It's Team Rocket. Grandfather's visions were right. They have returned," he said finally, watching her carefully.

Her sapphire eyes narrowed. "Team Rocket? I guess Red didn't do that good of a job, after all."

"It's not Red's fault. Criminal organizations are always trying to plan their comebacks. Giovanni might be out of the picture, but he had many followers all of which are trying to fulfil his ambitions," Lance explained.

She gave him a questioning look. "How did you know they were here?"

He sighed. "The Elder mentioned something about Slowpokes missing tails, so I came here to investigate. I didn't know they'd be here. It was pure luck that I came across them."

She pressed her lips together, jaw tightening. Lance had seen this expression many times before to know Clair was on the verge of throwing a tantrum. "And you didn't think to tell me?" she demanded, staring down at him. "I know he would keep it from me, but I expected better from you or is playing hero more important?" she snarled.

"Clair… not now. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want to bother you with this."

"It's Team Rocket. I deserve to know," she snapped. She turned her head away then looked back at him again. "Did you battle?"

"Too risky. We would've brought the entire place crashing down. I followed one of the executives through here thinking she'd take me back to their base…" he stopped suddenly, not wanting to go any further. Telling Clair he fell onto a rock didn't sound very Champion-like. She'd probably hold it against him for the rest of his life.

The snarl on her face was quickly replaced with a teasing grin. "Judging by the way you're lying there on the ground all curled up like that would I be wrong to assume that you fell over a rock?"

Dammit. "Not over, onto," he muttered bitterly.

She chuckled. "The Dragon Master Champion, defeated by a rock. I'd pay good money for the full story," she laughed again then fell silent, noticing he wasn't sharing her amusement. She sighed, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. "I'll take you to the Pokemon Centre in Azalea."

"The Pokemon Centre?" Lance repeated.

Clair nodded. "Yes, the Pokemon Centre. How do you expect to take on Team Rocket if you can't even exit the well without help?" she challenged. He resigned himself to defeat. She had a good point there. "Grab my hand and I'll help you up." He reached up and grabbed Clair's arm, and she hoisted him up. "Now, place your arm around my neck. We'll get out of here slowly."

.

And that's part one down! Lyra's rematch with Falkner will take place in the next chapter as well as a few other things such as Lyra trading for some new Pokemon. She also has a run-in with a very special person, any guesses on who that might be? Silver's been absent for awhile, but he'll be back in the very near future. I hope you're liking how things are progressing!

On an unrelated piece of information, I just heard that Karen and the other elite four members all had a dark background in the manga! What a shifty League consisting of crazy villains, lol. Anyways, I'll be updating the second part pretty soon. I'm going to try and update at least twice a week at random times, so keep an eye out! As always, reviews are much appreciated!

If you have free time, I have another story I'd like to recommend. This one is by sunburn-preventing and her story (called Unexpected Importance) is also based on HeartGold.


	7. Feathered Friends, Scaly Friends, pt 2

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Pokemon unfortunately

**Title**

Divine Destiny

**Summary**

Three years have passed since Team Rocket fell apart, but now they have returned under the leadership of a new ruler. While evil spreads, a young female called Lyra begins her journey and is destined to become the region's saviour, but it's not a path without obstacles. Lance/Lyra, game verse with a twist.

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to sunburn preventing and The Fading Author for reviewing the previous chapter!

.

**Chapter Six: Feathered Friends, Scaly Friends, part two**

Losing had dealt a big blow to her self-esteem. She had not only lost the match, but let down her team and herself. She sat down under a tree, leaning against the hard wood staring lifelessly at the ground. "Perhaps I wasn't cut out to be a trainer after all," she muttered, looking at her Pokemon. Totodile, Pidgey, Mareep and Zubat were sitting around her, giving their master a confused look.

Mareep rubbed his head against Lyra. Totodile tried to bring a smile on Lyra's face by doing a little dance while Pidgey and Zubat flapped their wings to cool her down a bit. She tried to smile, but didn't feel any joy in her heart. "I'm sorry, I failed you all." Flashes of the match against Falkner replayed in her mind over and over again. Pidgeotto was far too strong for her team. Too fast. Too agile. Could any of her Pokemon beat it?

She brought her knees up to her chest and leaned her head into her knees, trying to keep her emotions in check. She always knew being a trainer was going to be a difficult one, but she wasn't mentally prepared for this. Her bottom lip trembled. She bit down on her bottom lip in an attempt to stop the tears from spilling. But it was too late.

Weak. Mentally and physically weak. That's what she was and that's all she was ever going to be. It wasn't skill that had gotten her this far, it had been pure beginner's luck. The people that saw great potential in her… Professor Elm, her mother, her childhood friend, her neighbours… They were probably just saying nice things to boost her confidence.

The tears continued to flow down her cheeks wetting her clothes. Using the back palm of her hand she wiped the tears away, but new ones soon replaced them. What would they say if they could see her now weeping like a young child? Her mother would probably insist she return home and decide on a different career path to take. Instead of being a trainer, her mother would recommend becoming a ranger or breeder.

But she didn't want to be a ranger or a breeder. She was fourteen years of age; a late bloomer to the trainer world as some would say. She hadn't felt ready at the age of ten, and if she didn't feel ready at the age of fourteen, would she ever feel the time was right? "Dear child, why are you weeping?" a voice spoke.

Lyra jerked her head up, quickly wiping away the tears. The Elder Li was standing a few feet away from her, his brows knotted in confusion. "I lost," she mumbled.

The Elder Li came towards her and held out his hand. "Please take my hand. I know something that will make you feel better." He held out a calloused hand. Lyra looked at it for awhile then decided to take it. It would be rude to refuse. She took his hand and he helped her up from the ground and led her towards a comfortable looking house.

He unlocked the door and led Lyra inside. The place was small and a little old fashioned, but it seemed like a nice house. She saw no signs of televisions or gaming consoles in the room, nor did she see any tables, chairs or couches. Aside from a few paintings, there was only a fridge, an oven and a kitchen sink.

She sat down on the hard wooden planks, as her Pokemon gathered around her. The Elder Li walked to the fridge, opened the door and pulled something out. He returned to sit beside her and gave her a bottle of orange juice while giving her Pokemon something that looked like berries. Her Pokemon gobbled them up eagerly. The Elder turned to her. "Do not be so hard on yourself, Lyra," he started, smiling, "even the greatest of trainers suffers a loss."

Was he just saying that to make her feel better? She tried to offer a polite smile. "If they were so great they wouldn't be losing."

He did not seem offended by her rash words at all, instead he kept smiling. "If a trainer never lost, how would they know how to improve? If they continued to win, a trainer would never understand their strengths and weaknesses. A loss makes you stronger."

His words made sense to her ears. When she was younger, her mother had often told her that until one makes a mistake, they will never learn and move forward. Making mistakes was the easy part – but accepting them? Not so much. "I just... want to be the Champion," she said weakly, gazing up slightly from the floor, "I want to be like Red. I want to be a trainer my family and friends can be proud of…"

"Accepting a loss is difficult, but you will become a better trainer if you can. Believe in yourself and in your Pokemon and the seemingly impossible becomes possible. You have made this far already, do not turn back now because of a minor setback."

She drew in a sharp breath and fought back a new wave of tears. "I don't know if I can beat Falkner…"

"Have faith, Lyra. If you believe, your Pokemon will also believe."

Her throat was still dry despite having drunk the bottle of water. She set it down on the floor and stood up. The Elder Li was right. She could not stop now. "Thank you for your kind words and hospitality," Lyra said.

"You do not need to thank me for anything, it is you I should be thanking for allowing me to witness the rise of a great new champion," the Elder Li replied, also standing. He led her to the exit and took her to a grassy patch which led back to where she caught the Mareep. "Remember, have faith."

.

"Three years…" said Archer, looking down from the top floor of the lighthouse in Olivine City. Storm clouds rumbled in the distance. "Three years since Giovanni disbanded Team Rocket…" His announcement had come to quite a shock to a number of grunts, himself included. Giovanni had failed to fulfil his task in achieving world domination and decided he no longer wanted to be a part of this criminal organization.

Without Giovanni at the helm, Team Rocket fell into chaos but they managed to hold it together for at least another year. They had been a functioning organized group for a couple more months sticking to lesser crimes until it officially fell apart. Police hunted them down working alongside with the Kanto gym leaders to chase them out of the region.

Two years of silence followed. Those years had been long and painful, but it had given him a lot of time to work on his plan. Hiding in the deepest caverns of Mt. Mortar in Johto, Archer had come up with a plan worthy of the great Giovanni himself. But he could not do it alone. He managed to round up some of his closest friends, Petrel, Proton and Ariana, and promoted them to the Executive position.

Other criminal organizations were wrecking havoc in the other major regions; Team Galactic in Sinnoh and Team Aqua and Magma in Hoenn. He had heard rumours of other organizations in Unova and Kalos, but he knew little of those regions and he didn't care to. Johto and Kanto regions were his focus. He would succeed where Giovanni had not.

"What would you like to do, Archer?" Pretel asked, brushing his purple hair back.

"Head to the Goldenrod Radio Tower. Make your way to the Director's office. Take him out and you'll be able to control what's being said on the radio. We can control every Pokemon in the region this way by playing tunes to brainwash their minds," Archer explained, turning to face the eager Pretel. "I except there will be some resistance so I'm issuing you a large group of grunts to accompany you. Ariana will join you when the time is right."

"And what about Proton?"

"Proton is stationed at the Slowpoke Well. He is collecting Slowpoke Tails."

Pretel frowned. "Why do we need Slowpoke Tails?"

"They are the key ingredient to the secret potion I am having our scientists develop," Archer said, smirking. "I will not say anymore until the potion has been created. Focus only on your task," he added. It wasn't like the grunts could focus on anything else than one task anyway. Most of them were simple minded beings and could easily be manipulated.

Pretel nodded. "I will not fail you."

.

Lance was bored. The nurse had refused to let him leave the Pokemon Centre until she was certain he was in prime health. He had tried using his position as League Champion to tip the odds in his favour, but the nurse was not impressed and threatened to call the Elder. So here he was League Champion of Johto and Kanto, forced to sit inside one of the many patient rooms with nothing but a bed and a radio to keep him entertained. Clair had long since left, returning to the Blackthorn Gym to mock the next poor challenger who dared to battle her.

A few minutes later and the nurse entered the room, carrying a tray of food and water. "Here you go, Master Lance. It is not much, but I hope you find it satisfying," she said, smiling at him. He caught a faint blush of red on her cheeks. He lifted a brow, but said nothing. "Your Pokemon are healed as well. You can collect them when you leave. If you need my services, please press the white button on your bedside table."

"I'll be sure to do that," Lance replied.

She curtsied then exited the room. He glanced down at the tray of food and groaned. A bowl of tomato soup, two pieces of sourdough bread and a glass of water was all he had. Fitting food for a champion, he thought sarcastically. If he was at the League Pokemon Centre, he'd be eating high quality food.

He looked at the soup bowl for a little longer debating whether or not to try some. It didn't even look like tomato soup. It was more of a light orange colour like the colour of Dragonite's scales. He lowered his nose and sniffed. "Smells like carrot." He dared himself to try some. "Yup, definitely carrot." He put the tray on the table, refusing to eat more of it.

Perhaps the quality of the radio was better than the food. He grabbed it, and placed it on his lap and played around with the knobs until he picked up a station. "Pokemon Music. Pass," he said, turning the knob again. "Pokemon Channel. I know all this stuff already," he said. He turned it again. "People and Places. Hmm, interesting."

"_And turning to our next exciting trainer, Marina will be showcasing her taste in fashion this weekend! Join us at the National Park to discover the latest accessories your Pokemon pals can use as Marina struts her stuff around the park!"_

Lance shuddered. He made a mental note to avoid Goldrenrod City and the National Park this coming weekend. He turned the knob again. "Variety Channel. Nope. Unknown Radio Station. Don't care." He turned it one last time and frowned as some strange high-pitched bleeping noise played. There was no radio jockey at all. A nameless radio station. Odd. Perhaps the nurse could explain it?

He pushed the button and seconds later, the nurse came rushing in. "What do you need help with, Master Lance?" Her dark eyes briefly flickered over to the seemingly untouched food tray then moved back to Lance.

"This station… what is it called?" He turned the volume up so the nurse could hear it clearly as well. She moved forward, a frown on her delicate features.

"I have not heard of it before… perhaps the radio is broken?"

He shook his head. "The other stations work. I wonder what's causing that noise?" He swung his legs over the side of his bed and wondered over to the doorway with a noticeable limp in his step. The nurse was so stunned by the radio she didn't even try to stop him from walking out into the main foyer. Fortunately, the place was empty.

"Please someone help me!" A young boy with dirty brown hair, and muddy white clothes burst in through the doors, an expression of distress on his face. He was panting hard; Lance could see noticeable beads of sweat all over his face.

The nurse rushed forward, comforting the boy. "What's the matter?"

"My Pokemon… my Rattata suddenly evolved into a Raticate! I only just hatched it from an egg! It turned against me and now it won't return to its pokeball!" He wiped away tears then turned his gaze on Lance. If the boy recognized him he certainly had a good way of not showing it. "Please help me!"

Forced unexplained evolution. The boy had said 'suddenly evolved'. Had the radio station with the weird noise caused this? His thoughts drifted to Team Rocket. Somehow, they were linked to this. Lance turned to the nurse. "Give me my Pokemon. I'll handle this." The nurse nodded eyes wide. She hurried to the healing machine and returned with his trusty team of six. He looked at the boy and nodded. "Lead the way."

.

An hour of intense grinding had passed, but it had paid off. Her Pokemon were now much stronger than before and each of them had learnt a new move, except for Totodile. Mareep now knew Thundershock, Pidgey knew Quick Attack and Zubat had learnt Bite. She now felt ready for a rematch with Falkner. All four of her Pokemon marched behind her as they stormed up to the doors of the gym.

"Back again?" Falkner said, as Lyra walked towards him, ignoring the snide comments from the two Bird Trainers. He took on a fighting stance and threw out his first Pokemon, a Pidgey.

"You might have beaten me the first time, but I'm more than ready now." She looked down at her Mareep. Mareep nodded and stepped forward to take the first match. The Elder Li's words replayed in her mind. _Have faith._

"You are confident. I look forward to this rematch. Give it your best," Falkner said. "Pidgey, use Sand Attack!"

At the same time, Lyra yelled out, "Thundershock!" Mareep, having grown much stronger and faster since the last encounter, was able to move first. The Pidgey was knocked out immediately. Falker didn't seem unnerved, he looked quite pleased actually. He called out his second and final Pokemon to the battle field, his prized Pidgeotto.

Even though her Mareep had grown stronger, Lyra knew this was still going to be a tough battle. "Gust!" The familiar mini tornado appeared, rushing towards her Mareep. Mareep held its ground as it came into contact with the furious funnel.

"Thundershock!"

Mareep's eyes opened and the sheep sent forth a bolt at the bird as the funnel died down. Pidgeotto shrieked, flapping frantically as the mild bolt struck the bird. It wasn't enough to knock the Pidgeotto unconscious but Mareep had done enough damage to shake the bird. A few feathers fluttered to the ground.

"Roost!"

Pidgeotto came to the floor, tucked its wings and lowered its head, its eyes closed. Lyra frowned. Was the bird sleeping? What a weird thing to do during a battle. Her Mareep also looked confused, looking to Lyra for answers. All Lyra could do was shrug. She didn't have a clue either. She looked at Falkner. He was smiling. Something was wrong.

Falkner's Pidgeotto opened its eyes and jumped into the air, flapping to gain some altitude. It was as if the bird itself had recovered from the previous attack, making it look like it hadn't even happened. "You look confused. I'll explain it to you. Some Pokemon have the ability to recover health – Pidgeotto just happens to be one of them," he said.

That seemed unfair. How could a Pokemon that could heal itself ever be defeated then? Before she could work out an answer, Pidgeotto knocked Mareep off its feet. The Mareep did not stand up again. Zubat and Pidgey were both eager to battle, but Lyra summoned Totodile to take the place of the fallen Mareep.

"Use Leer!" Totodile glared at the Pidgeotto. The bird seemed to freeze in the air momentarily, allowing Lyra to catch a glimpse of a weak spot - the joint where the wing joined the body. Pidgeottoa snapped out of its trance and flew around in circles.

"Gust!" Another funnel, fortunately Totodile withstood the attack.

"Aim for the wings! Use Water Gun!" Lyra commanded, pointing at her opponent's Pokemon.

Totodile nodded, and launched a burst of water at the bird, hitting it directly in its weak spot. The bird fluttered helplessly to the ground, writhing in pain. It managed to pick itself up, but remained unsteady on its feet. "Use Roost!" Once again, the Pidgeotto settled itself on the floor and took a quick nap to restore a portion of its health.

"Use Scratch!"

Lyra wasn't the only one growing annoyed. Totodile seemed to feed off her agitated state of mind. He charged forward, striking at the bird with full strength. Pidgeotto staggered backwards and fell over on its back, legs up in the air. It flapped for awhile trying to flip itself over, but the bird no longer had strength. Totodile's last attack had been a critical one.

Falkner recalled his prized bird Pokemon, and glanced down at the pokeball. "My father's prized Pokemon… they were beaten…" he said, sounding a little dumbfounded. He sighed then glanced at Lyra. "You are the clear winner of our battle. As the rules state, I must present you with a gym badge as proof of your victory. This is the Zephyr badge," he said, giving her a shiny silver coloured badge. It had the appearance of two wings. "I'll also gift you with the TM Roost. You will now also be able to use the HM move, Rock Smash out in the field."

She received the gift items and placed them in her bag where the egg currently was. Unfortunately, all these new items gave her little space for anything else in her bag, so she removed the egg and cradled it in her arms again. "Thank you!" she beamed. The Elder Sage had been right. Believe in yourself and anything is possible.

He grinned. "You should head to Azalea Town next. You'll find the next gym leader there, Bugsy. Don't let his appearance fool you – he's a tough foe to beat, even for me. Oh, and before you go, you'll be able to access the trading machine upstairs in the Pokemon Centre. Good luck to you, Lyra. I will see you again." He led her out of the gym. Once she was outside, he headed back inside the building. Probably preparing himself for the next battle, she thought.

She headed towards the Pokemon Centre and stepped inside. As per normal, she healed her Pokemon. Once she received them, she headed upstairs to the trading facility Falkner had mentioned. A lady in a uniform approached her. "Welcome! This is the trading area. You can trade your Pokemon for another Pokemon or an egg if you wish."

That sounded like fun, but that meant parting with one of hers. She had come to love them all equally. "How does it work?"

"Simply touch the screen and search for a Pokemon you would like to have. Once you have found a Pokemon you like, offer the Pokemon you would like to trade in the machine here. The trade takes a few seconds."

"How many can I trade?"

"There are no limits, but be careful. You can't get your Pokemon back once a trade has been made."

Lyra nodded. As much as she loved her Zubat and Pidgey, she wanted a Pokemon from another region. She had heard Sinnoh had fascinating ones there. She stepped up to the screen and hit the Sinnoh region button then scrolled through the options. There were many Pokemon up for trade but one stood out to her the most. A newborn Gible, a dragon type Pokemon. Dragons were sacred and mythical creatures, but difficult to raise she had heard. Was it worth the time and effort?

There was also a bird Pokemon called Starly, a black feathered avian with a white face. The Starly was also a newborn. She looked at the trainer's details. A girl named Dawn was offering them up for a trade in return for two Kanto or Johto Pokemon. "I'll do it," she said. "I'm going to miss you dearly Pidgey and Mareep, but you'll do fine without me." She couldn't help but feel a little sad as she offered her Pokemon to trade. She placed the ball inside the transfer machine and watched it as one pokeball was sucked up in a tube. Her Mareep followed.

Two pokeballs popped out of the machine in place of the two she had traded. Gible and Starly. She decided to get a good look at her new companions and summoned them from their pokeballs. Totodile and Zubat looked at the new Pokemon with great interest. Lyra too looked at the new Pokemon with interest. The Starly was smaller than the Pidgey, but just as cute although it didn't look as sturdy. The Gible on the other hand was a strange looking creature. It was a small, pudgy baby dragon with a big mouth filled with sharp teeth. It appeared to have no neck. Its scales were a dark blue colour and its belly was red. On the top of its head was a fin that looked much like the dorsal fin of a shark. It was hard to believe this thing was a dragon type, or even powerful, but looks could be deceiving.

Lyra hoped she hadn't made the wrong decision.

.

Archer is going to play more of a dominant role here than he did in the games (which was barely anything). Lyra will make another trade soon, this time with a Hoenn region trainer. Which Pokemon will she get? Here's a hint – it's cold blooded. So that's four spots taken (Totodile, Starly, Gible and the Hoenn Pokemon). Who will be the final two that will make the team? Here's another hint – one is given as a gift and the other is only obtainable in HG.

See you soon in the next chapter! I do hope you are enjoying this story so far! I'm having a blast writing it hence why I'm able to update so quickly. Also, a big shout out to my good friend and fellow author, Nirianne for making the cover for 'Divine Destiny'. As always, reviews are much appreciated!


	8. An Unplanned Meeting

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Pokemon unfortunately

**Title**

Divine Destiny

**Summary**

Three years have passed since Team Rocket fell apart, but now they have returned under the leadership of a new ruler. While evil spreads, a young female called Lyra begins her journey and is destined to become the region's saviour, but it's not a path without obstacles. Lance/Lyra, game verse with a twist.

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to sunburn preventing, WorldNerd12 and The Fading Author for reviewing the previous chapter!

.

**Chapter Seven: An Unplanned Meeting**

Lyra's new Gible was proving to be quite difficult to control. He obeyed her orders during battle, but after the battle was over, the Gible stopped listening to her. Her Gible seemed to have a knack for chasing trouble. It was as if the baby dragon liked getting into and creating trouble for his new master. Gible would attack defeated wild Pokemon and attack the losing trainer if Lyra didn't throw Gible's pokeball to call the naughty dragon back.

Starly, on the other hand, preferred to be by herself rather than play with Gible, Zubat and Toto. The poor Pokemon looked sad most of the time, and Lyra hoped it wasn't because it had been traded away. Gible and Toto were play fighting in a nearby grass patch as Zubat flew above them while Starly sat on a tree branch watching. Lyra sighed, shaking her head, but she was smiling. Starly and Gible had already gotten stronger just by battling wild Pokemon. But they couldn't stay here forever.

She was currently on Route 32 now and very eager to get to Azalea Town. There were other things to explore in Violet City, namely Route 36, but she just wanted to get the next gym badge. She'd come back later once her team was stronger. She had already defeated five trainers – Youngster Albert, Picknicker Liz, Camper Roland, Youngster Gordon and Fisherman Justin who had give Magikarp in his possession.

Now there were only left to go. "Okay everyone, back to your pokeballs!" Lyra said, calling all her Pokemon back except for Totodile. Zubat and Starly returned without protest, but Gible head butted the ball away then did a funny little dance which Lyra assumed was a victory one. "You are eager to battle, aren't you?" Lyra asked, glancing down at the dragon.

Gible nodded. This dragon sure loved fighting. Lyra smiled. "Alright, you win. But you can't expect to take every battle." Gible nodded again. Lyra wasn't completely sure if it understood her or not, but knew she had to keep a very close eye on him. The moment she looked away, the Gible would run after some poor wild Pokemon and get lost in the forest… Or worse, get attacked.

She approached yet another fisherman and hoped this one did not use Magikarp as well. She wanted a challenge and Magikarp were anything but challenging. He was facing the water's edge, completely unaware she was there. She tapped him on the back, and he jumped, startled, dropping his nametag. Henry. He spun around. "You startled me! I lost a Pokemon! A battle with you will calm my mind!"

Lyra stepped back and allowed her Gible to take position. Fisherman Henry threw out a ball and a round blue shaped creature with a spiral belly popped out. Lyra pulled out her Pokedex to obtain data. _"Poliwag. Because it is inept at walking on its newly grown legs, it always swims around in water." _

She turned back to the creature. It did seem to have major difficulty standing still even. "Gible, use Tackle!"

The dragon obeyed, throwing its entire weight at the clumsy Poliwag. Gible struck hard and fast, causing the Poliwag to fall over. It tried to get back onto its feet but it didn't seem able to flip itself up onto its feet again. "Water Sport!" Henry yelled. Poliwag spewed out some water, cloaking itself in the cool liquid. Lyra had no idea what that move did but it didn't appear to do any harm at all.

"Use Tackle again!"

Gible hit hard once again. Poliwag was no more. Gible gave Henry a cheeky grin, revealing razor sharp teeth. "Okay Gible, its Toto's turn now," said Lyra. Gible looked at Lyra and shook its head. Oh no. "We promised earlier that you can't take every battle. You have to share the load," she insisted. Gible glared.

"Stop fooling around, trainer, and continue on the battle!" Henry said, grabbing Lyra's attention briefly. Another Poliway waited to battle. Lyra turned to her Toto, giving him an apologetic glance and turned back to her Gible… only to find Gible wasn't there. Oh no, she thought. She looked up and found her Gible running awkwardly through a grass patch towards the forest boundary.

"Gible!" Lyra called out, but the Gible kept running. She glanced back at the trainer then to the forest. She had to cancel the battle. That was embarrassing… really embarrassing but Gible had left her no choice. She gave the fisherman a sheepish look then bolted after her runaway dragon.

.

Lance had once again found himself in an eerie place where he was surrounded by wounded Pokemon. Fortunately, these Pokemon which were all Rattata's, had not been disfigured. There were bite marks on the majority and Lance had a feeling they had been attacked by the Ratticate that had somehow evolved at a very early stage.

The forest was dark, but not so dark he couldn't see anything, unlike the Well. And fortunately, there were no rocks around the place for him to fall onto again. The Ratticate's owner had stayed at the forest boundary as it was too dangerous for him to come this far in. Dragonite stayed at his master's side, keeping his eyes peeled. They continued moving forward through the forest undergrowth until they reached a clearing.

What he saw next confused him greatly. In the middle of the clearing there was a Gible, gnawing on a twig. Lance noticed there was a trail of blood running down its left side. A fresh wound. The Gible can't have been a wild one – Gible's weren't known to native to Johto. So it must have been a stray, abandoned by its owner. Lance knew all too well that only determined trainers could raise dragons.

He observed it closely,and pondered with the idea of claiming it as his own. Strays were abandoned Pokemon meaning their owners had no ownership over them anymore. A fully evolved Gible would make a great addition to his draconish team of Pokemon. It was weakened already as well making the task so much easier. He crept closer towards the unsuspecting Gible until he was close enough.

He hurled the pokeball. The Gible had no idea what was coming for it. Soon, he'd have a Gible on his side. Then he would be one step closer to having every single Dragon Pokemon in the universe… what? The ball bounced off its scales and tumbled onto the grass. Gible glanced at the ball. It bent down, sniffed it then drew back as if disgusted. It kicked it away.

"Gible! There you are!"

Things were become stranger by the minute now. A young female teenager came bursting into the clearing, stopping besides Lance and his Dragonite. She rushed forward, threw out a pokeball and recalled her Gible back. Once Gible was safe, she turned on Lance, her features knotted in anger. "Thief!" she accused. "Leave my Gible alone!"

Lance was taken aback by her sudden accusation. "I didn't…"

"I noticed my Gible was hurt. Did you attack him as well?" she demanded, glancing up at him.

Being this close to the girl, he noticed there was something strangely familiar about her… Wait. Was this the same girl the Elder had predicted would be the one to defeat him? The one who he was supposed to look for? The one he had caught battling against a true thief, the boy with the long red hair?

She didn't look tough at all this close up. She was a short, lean girl with cute brown pigtails and wide brown curious eyes who happened to be dressed in overalls. In other words? She looked ridiculous. She really looked like she ought to be out on some farm milking Miltanks, not out here as a trainer with a powerful dragon Pokemon. "You weren't around. How was I supposed to know the Gible wasn't some stray?" he replied casually.

"I would never abandon my Pokemon," she replied, then turned away from him, choosing to focus her attention on his Dragonite. Dragonite looked at Lance unsure of what to do. Lance shrugged. "It's so cute!" she said, grinning up at the Dragonite.

Lance wasn't sure if he was hearing things. Had Lyra just called his Dragonite cute? Cute wasn't a term he'd associate with dragons in general. He wasn't sure whether to be offended by this or not. "Hmph," was his response. Not the most intelligent comeback but he couldn't afford to reveal his true identity to this trainer. Besides, he was supposed to be searching for a rogue Ratticate, not chatting to females.

She stared at him for a few moments longer then averted her gaze. She did not blush, like so many others of the female race did. That was actually a good thing though, thought Lance. The only female he could speak to that did not turn into a gushing fangirl was Clair, but that was understandable because they were related.

"You should leave. It's not safe here," Lance started.

"That's exactly what I plan on doing." She started to head back in the direction where she had come from then stopped, looking back over her shoulder. "How do I get to Azalea Town from here?"

"Keep on following the path and you'll soon find yourself at Union Cave. Find your way through and you'll reach Azalea Town in no time," he replied. "Don't you have a map?"

Her eyes widened. "I forgot it."

The Elder had to be wrong about this girl. There was no way this Lyra could beat him. She was far too clueless and innocent. "Take mine. Take it as an apology for the Gible incident," he said, handing her one of his many maps. She took it, folded it carefully then placed it in her bag. "And I'm serious about leaving. This forest isn't safe."

She gave him one last look then retreated, allowing him to carry on his business.

.

"What a strange person," Lyra said aloud as she exited the forest. She sat at the boundary, underneath one of the trees to catch her breath after the chase. Totodile snuggled up against her. Lyra's thoughts drifted back to the weird trainer. He wore all black, had messy red hair that stuck out in random angles, and he wore a funny looking black cape. Who walked around with a cape anyway? And Joey had thought her outfit was ridiculous… Which well, it kinda was now that she thought about it. A change in clothing attire was needed, she thought.

She wondered who he was. He had what seemed to be a fully evolved dragon with him meaning he must be a trainer of an exceptional level. For someone who had a fully evolved dragon, he certainly didn't look like a dragon trainer. She had always assumed trainers with dragons were bulky, but that was probably just a stereotype. This guy was tall and not overly muscular. He didn't seem that old either and she suspected he was in his late teenage years. He wasn't that bad on the eyes either.

Was he just some wandering trainer or someone more important? A gym leader? An Elite Four member? Perhaps… even the Champion? She laughed out loud at the stupidity of that thought. No. Of course not. Why would the Champion be near Azalea Town? Besides, she imagined whoever the Champion was he had far more important things to do than stroll through the towns meeting the locals and hanging out in dark places.

She wondered who the Champion was. She knew little about the former champions, Red and Blue. All she knew was they came from the same place of Pallet Town and that they were rivals from a young age. Blue was apparently a very unfriendly and cocky Champion according to various media sources, and Red was silent, but honourable, Champion.

And what of the current one? She knew nothing. Was he also a jerk like Blue? Or modest and friendly? Was he old or young? Handsome or plain? So many questions and she had no answers to any of them. Oh well, she thought, it made the journey to becoming the Champion herself much more interesting without knowing anything about the League members.

Her Totodile yawned, and Lyra too found herself yawning. The past hours had been tough. They hadn't had a decent rest since winning against Falkner. She closed her eyes and soon fell asleep under the shade of the trees.

.

He looked at the Ratticate. The Ratticate stared back at him, hissing. "There's nothing we can do to cause the Ratticate to return to its former evolution, but we can put him down for awhile," Lance said, looking at his Dragonite. Dragonite nodded, understanding. He spread his wings and flapped sending forth a powerful gust of wind, which threw the Ratticate back into a tree, immediately knocking it unconscious.

He was about to check up on the now fainted Ratticate for signs of severe damage when two Team Rocket grunts stepped out from behind some bushes. The grunts looked like the ones he had encountered earlier before in the Slowpoke Well. "Looks like Ariana was right. The Champion walked right into our trap," said the female grunt who he remembered as Julia.

"He just couldn't help himself. Why can't you just leave us alone?" Julia's companion sneered.

Dragonite growled. "What did you do to the Ratticate?" Lance said.

Julia cracked a grin. "It's wonderful, isn't it? Our great leader Archer found a way to force Pokemon to evolve! It's not at full strength yet, but when it is, Team Rocket will gain control of the world!"

Lance thought hard. The signal from the unknown radio station. Had Team Rocket found a way to emit waves to force Pokemon within range to evolve? If he was correct in that assumption they were in serious trouble. The signal might not be completed yet, but judging what had happened to the Ratticate, he didn't want know what it could do once the signal was at full strength.

"For every grunt you take down, another one will take the fallen one's place. We have unlimited numbers and we're scattered all over the region. There are not enough gym leaders to take us all on," Julia taunted, lips curving into a maniacal grin. "Consider this as a warning – the end is coming and it's all going to start at the Slowpoke Well."

Lance frowned. "Slowpoke Well? I thought you were done there."

"We were stalling for time. Ariana lured you deeper into the well allowing Proton and his grunts to enter the normal way. Coming after her was a foolish idea. You just made it easier for us." She smirked, then spun around and ran deeper into the forest, her partner following right behind her. Lance was half-tempted to go after them but following Team Rocket members into dark unknown places was not a good idea.

"Dammit," he cursed. Lyra was heading towards Azalea Town now and would most likely get caught up in the Team Rocket mess. He was supposed to look out for her as the Elder had said, not get her into trouble. He turned around and stormed through the forest, an equally annoyed Dragonite stomping behind him. Would he be too late?

.

Fortunately, Union Cave was easy to get through even without knowing Flash. There were a few bothersome fire and ground trainers in the way, but Totodile handled it well. Of course, before she had even thought about entering the cave, she had to finish her business with the Fisherman Henry. The battle had been short, but the fisherman's attitude had not improved at all. So much for battling to calm the mind, she thought.

Now she was out of the cave and she was glad for that. Her Pokemon had once again gotten stronger; Starly had learnt Wing Attack and Gible had learnt Dragon Rage, a powerful early move which took out a large chunk of health from the opponent no matter what type they were. Gible still had his problems but he seemed less likely to cause trouble the more experience he obtained.

Fortunately, Azalea Town was cooler than Cherrygrove City, but it was still warm. At least she didn't have to wipe away sweat beads from her face every few seconds. The town was much smaller than Violet City and there was less to do. She had bypassed a well earlier which was blocked by some weird guy dressed in black with a pirate hat.

Aside from the well, the only other place worth visiting was Charcoal Kiln, Kurt's House and the gym obviously. Charcoal didn't sound like something she needed at the moment though as her bag was full of stuff already. That reminded her she needed to store her egg at the Pokemon Centre to retrieve later. But before doing that, she headed to Kurt's House.

"Hello?" she said, tapping on the door.

The door opened a few seconds later an elderly man walked out. "You are here to turn apricots into pokeballs, aren't you? I would love to assist but I'm afraid I have an emergency to attend do," he said, stepping outside. He closed the door then looked her up and down. "Say… you look like a fine trainer. You might be able to help me. A group of criminals have taken over the Slowpoke Well. They're cutting off the tails of the innocent Pokemon. They must be stopped at once. Meet me at the well when you are ready and we'll take them on together." Before she could get another word in, the old man hobbled away and towards the Well.

"Cutting off Slowpoke Tails? What sort of horrible person would do such a thing?" she said, looking at her Totodile. Totodile looked angry, a soft growl escaping through its throat. "We'll go to the Pokemon Centre first." There was one more trade she wanted to do. Besides, the Well sounded dangerous. She wanted to heal her team up before entering.

She headed up to the trading place upstairs and placed her Zubat in the machine. The trading screen came up and she searched for Hoenn pokemon. A number of interesting Pokemon caught her eye, but it was the Bagon, another dragon type, that captured her interest. She didn't know what it was but she felt drawn to the reptilian looking Pokemon. Pokemon with scales and talons appealed to her greatly. A girl called May was offering one up for trade willing to accept anything in return.

"Bye bye Zubat!" she said almost tearfully, as she agreed to make the trade.

She hoped Bagon was less trouble than Gible otherwise she'd never get anywhere.

.

Slightly shorter chapter there, but I really didn't want to go through the process of detailing the battles and the trip through Union Cave. One cave adventure is enough for now I think. As for adding yet another dragon type, I can't help it – dragons are my favourite. But don't worry, Lyra won't have anymore for the sake of variety. I hope I am not updating too quickly – if I am, let me know and I'll be sure not to update so fast in the future.

Reviews are much appreciated as always! Let me know how your thoughts on how the story is progressing!


	9. Under Threat

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Pokemon unfortunately

**Title**

Divine Destiny

**Summary**

Three years have passed since Team Rocket fell apart, but now they have returned under the leadership of a new ruler. While evil spreads, a young female called Lyra begins her journey and is destined to become the region's saviour, but it's not a path without obstacles. Lance/Lyra, game verse with a twist.

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to sunburn preventing, Kitsunekit75, WorldNerd12 and The Fading Author for reviewing the previous chapter!

.

**Chapter Eight: Under Threat**

It was another miserable day in Blackthorn City. Storm clouds had rolled over the city overnight, cutting out the powerlines and causing severe damage to many of the buildings. The clouds still hung over the city, but the lightning and thunder had long since passed. Now there was only rain but that itself was a problem. The grounds were already soaked – they could not absorb any more rain. Continuous rain would lead to problematic flooding.

Although the city was built into the side of a mountain, some of the buildings were prone to floods. The pool in front of the Dragon's Den was partly to blame for this. Large amounts of rain often caused the pond to overflow, and bucket loads of water would pour out the side and into the local households. Flooding wasn't the only problem Blackthorn faced – earthquakes and landslides in summer and avalanches in winter also caused major problems. Fortunately, such disasters did not occur frequently.

Clair ducked inside the Den, removing her cape. She dried it off as best as she could then put it back on again. The Dragon's Den was not only her home, but also her number one training spot. Dragon tamers from Johto and Kanto came here to hone their skills, hoping they could one day become the world's greatest Dragon Master. She often mocked the trainers – none of them could ever hope to come close to her level.

So it was no surprise half the population of Blackthorn disliked Clair. She was respected, but not popular. Even the trainers she had selected for her gym weren't fond of her. But she didn't care. She was powerful. They were not. They just had to accept that. She looked around the cave, searching for her next victim. Two young female identical twins caught her eye. Clea and Gil. The twins each had a Dratini in their possession. The Dratini's should've evolved by now, but they hadn't. Clair suspected it was because Clea and Gil were lousy dragon tamers.

"You two. Come over here now," Clair called out, pointing a finger in their direction.

The two twins were standing on one of the upper levels of the den. Upon hearing their names, their eyes widened when they noticed Clair looking at them. They exchanged a nod and came down the steps and walked over to answer Clair's summons.

"What do you want Clair?" Clea said, flicking a strand of brown hair away from her face.

"We battled you yesterday and the day before that. Why can't you pick on somebody else?" Gil whined.

Smirking, Clair tossed her ponytail over her shoulder. "You don't have to battle me – but if you don't, I'm not going to let you back in here to train."

The twins exchanged bitter looks. Clair knew that expression all too well. It meant they were not at all pleased and thought her demands were unfair. "Fine. But you don't have go so tough on us. We didn't even have a chance to attack in the last match," Clea complained, pouting.

Clair crossed her arms over her shoulder and snorted. "I'm a Gym Leader _and_ a Dragon Master. I am not going to go easy on you," she said. "I don't go easy on _anyone_. Show me how much you have improved." She reached down to her belt and threw out her mascot, Kingdra. The water dragon jumped into the pond of water and glared at the two twins.

The twins threw their pokeballs at the ground. A twin pair of Dratini's appeared, and the two dove into the water. Other wild Dratini called the pond their home but always stayed out of the battles. "Kingdra, again?" Gil said. "That's not fair!"

"Quit being such babies and show me you are worthy enough to call yourselves dragon tamers," Clair snapped. "Kingdra, use Dragon Pulse!" A purple beam of some dark energy burst from the Kingdra's mouth, striking one of the Dratini. The Dratini fainted immediately. It was a well known fact dragons were super strong against their own type.

Gil muttered and retrieved her fainted Dratini. Clea stepped forward. "Dratini, use Dragon Tail!"

"Kingdra, dodge!"

Kingdra easily evaded the physical blow, and retaliated with another powerful beam of Dragon Pulse. The Dratini fainted and the battle was over as quickly as it had begun. Clair smirked. "I see not much has changed. You are both still weak and you will remain weak. You have no right to call yourselves dragon tamers."

Shooting Clair hateful looks, the twins retreated from the cave with their fainted Dratini's back in their pokeballs. She recalled her Kingdra back to its pokeball, and did a victory dance in celebration of her brilliance. So what if she was hated? She was the best. Well, second best. Lance was the only trainer she could not beat, not even when he was at his worst.

"There you are, Clair!"

Clair spun around annoyed she had been interrupted during her self-praising session. A male wearing red and black clothing stood at the entrance, running a hand nervously through his pitch black hair. She recognized him as Mike – the final gym trainer in her gym. He was probably the only person in Blackthorn, aside from her grandfather, that actually liked her. It was rumoured the guy had a crush on her. "What do you want, Mike?"

"The Poke Mart… it's been raided!"

"What?" The Blackthorn Poke Mart raided? That wasn't possible. Hardly anyone came to this city because it was such a difficult place to get to. Only the strongest of trainers made it here. "Impossible."

"Come and see it for yourself." Mike headed back outside, and Clair quickly chased after him, cape flapping behind her. It was darker now than it had been moments ago. It seemed as if another storm had come through. A breeze blew through the city, so strong it almost knocked her off her feet. She quickly regained her composure and followed Mike towards the Poke Mart.

Mike was correct. The place had been totally thrashed. How could it be something like this could happen in such a few short moments? There had been no signs of any problems before. The shelves had fallen and all stocked items sprawled out on the ground. Hundreds, no, thousands of dollars lay before her feet damaged beyond repair. Whoever had done this… knew exactly what they were doing.

She turned to the cashier, a young female assistant. The girl cowered behind the register, as if afraid the thief had returned. "What happened here?" Clair demanded.

The girl peeked over the register, sobbing. "It was a man… he was dressed in black clothes… he wore a hat with a skull cross on it…" She took in a deep breath and continued. "He got mad because we didn't have a rope… and thrashed the place…" The girl broke down in sobs.

Tapping her foot on the ground, Clair gave the girl an irritated look. "Did he say where he went? Speak girl."

"He said… he said they were going towards the Dragon's Den…"

Dragon's Den. She had just exited the place and had seen no signs of any intruders. Besides, the old man guarding the Den would've notified her of any suspicious behaviour. She looked around the shop again, taking in all the damage. But then again, someone who had done this much damage would have no problem forcing their way into the Dragon's Den.

Without saying another word, she dashed outside, Mike following close behind. It was raining very hard now. It was almost impossible to see anything, but she knew her way to the Den even with her eyes closed, having walked that path many times. She took that path again, jumped into the pond and swam across.

Once inside, she darted her eyes around the cave, looking for a suspicious character. The Den was quiet now. Completely silent. That made her nervous. Even if there were no trainers around, she could always hear the sounds of Dratini playing around in the pool. But there was nothing. Had the Dratini sensed danger?

And what of her grandfather? He spent most of his life at home, studying dragon lore and his visions. But she could not hear him. Perhaps he was still asleep? "I'm going to check up on my grandfather. You stay here and keep guard. Call out if you see anyone." Mike nodded. Clair hurried over to her house.

She was surprised to find the door unlocked. Pushing it open, she stepped inside and looked around. The broken photo frame of Lance and his team was still on the floor. Clair carefully stepped around it, and called out her grandfather's name. Nothing. No response at all. Fortunately, the house seemed untouched.

She looked around some more then stopped upon hearing a tapping noise coming from one of the rooms. Her grandfather's room to be precise. "Grandfather?" she called out again, ramming against the door with her shoulder. The door opened and she stumbled inside and found her grandfather tied to a chair, arms and legs held by a rope. There was a white tape over his mouth preventing him from making any audible noise. Her jaw dropped open.

Rushing over to her grandfather, she removed the tape and started to loosen the rope. "Clair! Thank goodness you are alright!" he said, in between heavy gasps.

She threw the rope onto the ground and kicked it away. "What happened?"

"This man burst in through the doors, demanding to know where the sacred Dratini was," the old man explained, hanging his head down. "I could not stop him from locating the dragon."

"The sacred Dratini is gone?" Clair almost shrieked. The Dratini was seen as special because it knew a move no other Dratini knew. It also had a different colour; its skin wasn't blue like the others, but rather a bright shade of pink. Her grandfather called it a Shiny, an exceptionally rare Pokemon.

Clair had wanted it for herself, but the Elder said no. The Dratini would be given to someone who had earned it. She had scoffed at that. Her grandfather probably wanted to keep it for himself and had thought up that lame excuse. But she could not be angry at him now.

"You must… not do anything rash, Clair… Your place is at the gym."

"I need to find the Dratini."

He shook his head. "You must inform Lance."

It always came back to Lance. Just because he was the Champion did not mean he got to play hero all the time. She was just as deserving of that title. "He doesn't need to do everything. You can trust me to do the right thing!" Clair spat. "I am strong enough to handle this!"

"Go back to the gym, Clair."

She clenched her jaw. "Why don't you trust me? Is it because I haven't passed your stupid test yet? Is that it?" she retorted, her irritation growing at a rapid pace. Or was it because she was a female? All her ancestors that had risen to the ranks of Dragon Master had been male. She was the only female to achieve that rank. Her grandfather did not reply. "Fine. I'll go back to the gym since that's the only thing you think I'm capable of doing!" she spluttered.

She spun around on her heel and stormed out of the building.

.

Training her Bagon should've been her first task, but Lyra was eager to solve the problem down at the well. Besides, there should be some Pokemon to train against down there anyway so Bagon would get the experience it desperately needed. She climbed down the ladder, touched the floor and noticed Kurt leaning against the stone wall. He was groaning and rubbing his back.

He turned to her now, relieved she was there. "I chased down one of the grunts and unfortunately I took a fall. I'll need some time to recover, so you'll have to go inside and investigate for me," Kurt said.

Go into a deeper part of the well all by herself to face off against some criminals? That didn't sound wise, but Kurt wasn't looking too good. She glanced down at Toto and put on a brave face. Of course she wasn't alone. She had her Pokemon with her. She stepped inside and was instantly overcome by a powerful feeling of disgust.

Slowpokes were everywhere she looked, and every single one had a stump for a tail. Whoever had been behind this catastrophe certainly had a cruel and twisted mind. The pain the Slowpoke were feeling… it had to be horrible. She navigated around them carefully, making sure she did not accidentally run into one. The Slowpoke looked at her with sad, round eyes. Unable to look at them without feeling her heart break into two, Lyra pulled her gaze away focusing on the path ahead.

The cave was pretty bland aside from the Slowpoke. There was a large pool of water and a lot of stalagmites and stalactites everywhere. The criminals had to be hiding somewhere. Just to be prepared, she called out her other three Pokemon. Bagon, Gible and Toto huddled around her, while Starly sat on her head. Further up ahead, she could hear voices.

"…The Champion isn't here anymore … he must've escaped…"

"…Nevermind the Champion, he can't stop Team Rocket…"

"…Archer will be so pleased. Do you think he'll give us a raise?"

Team Rocket? As in, the same Team Rocket that terrorized them several years ago? Hadn't they been defeated by Red? It had been all over the news. Lyra crept forward, quickly ducking behind some stalagmites. Three male youths stepped into her view, all dressed completely in black uniforms. The trio each wore a black hat with a skull cross symbol emblazoned on the front. Gible made a funny noise. It sounded much like the sound one experienced when they were feeling really hungry. Lyra shut her eyes, hoping they would not notice her.

"Hey, did you hear that? Some funny rumbling noise. I think we're being followed," said the first, a short stocky male with black hair.

"I thought you took out the old geezer?" said the middle youth, with the ginger hair.

The third male, a youth with dirty blond hair answered. "I did. He fell. Perhaps he had an accomplice we weren't aware of?"

The stocky one spoke. "Nevermind. We'll find the intruder and we'll crush him." The other two males chuckled. The three moved together, weaving through the stalagmites with ease. Gible's stomach rumbled again, this time a little louder than before.

"There's that noise again! It's coming from over there!"

Lyra winched. They were done for now. She stood up from her hiding spot. The three rocket grunts stopped, looked at her than exchanged laughs. "Oh look, it's a little girl! Did you run away from your farm, girl?"

"She's a trainer. I can't believe they allow people as funny looking as that become trainers," said the ginger. He reached down and grabbed a pokeball and advanced towards her, giving her a sly look. "She doesn't look tough at all."

"Yeah, let's send this girl back to the farm."

Lyra glanced over her shoulder, searching for a possible escape route. There was only one she could see and that was the entrance. But she couldn't run – not now. She had promised to help Kurt. The Slowpoke relied on her. "I'm not a farm girl." As soon as she left this cave, she was totally going to update her look.

Each of the three male youths threw out their pokeballs. Two Rattata's and a Zubat appeared. Lyra's eyes widened. Three Pokemon all at once? "Farm girl looks shocked," the ginger said.

"That's not fair!" Lyra blurted out.

"We're Team Rocket. We don't play fair. You play by rules," said the blonde. "So what's it going to be? Are you going to battle or are you too afraid to take us all on?"

She glanced down at the Pokemon. Gible, Bagon and Totodile all looked eager to battle. Starly licked her face indicating she wanted to fight too. "I accept your challenge," she said, trying to sound confident. But the truth was, she felt quite nervous. The trio looked as if they had fought together as a team many times before. This was Lyra's first time. How would her team fare against this experienced triple team?

The stocky male spoke again, pulling Lyra out of her worries. "Farm girl has dragons. You think she's part of the infamous Blackthorn dragon clan?"

"Nah, she doesn't look half as dumb as they do," answered the blond. "But even if she has two dragons, she won't stand a chance against our combined power!" He pointed a finger at her, and grinned. "Don't go crying to your mummy when you lose," he jeered.

Ginger boy spoke. "What's a little girl like you doing out here on your own anyway?"

She was beginning to tire of these insults. Farm girl. Little girl. She was neither of those things. She was a fourteen year old female who was going to be the Champion of Johto and Kanto. "The name is Lyra. I'm a trainer and I'm going to defeat you." She hoped she sounded intimidating, but the trio just laughed. Okay, she thought. That didn't work.

"You talk big for a girl. Can you back it up?" the stocky one taunted.

Lyra stepped forward, silently praying for a miraculous victory.

.

Slightly shorter chapter there, but I really didn't want to go through the process of detailing the battles and the trip through Union Cave. One cave adventure is enough for now I think. As for adding yet another dragon type, I can't help it – dragons are my favourite. But don't worry, Lyra won't have anymore for the sake of variety. I hope I am not updating too quickly – if I am, let me know and I'll be sure not to update so fast in the future.

Reviews are much appreciated as always! Let me know how your thoughts on how the story is progressing!


	10. Questions and Answers

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Pokemon unfortunately

**Title**

Divine Destiny

**Summary**

Three years have passed since Team Rocket fell apart, but now they have returned under the leadership of a new ruler. While evil spreads, a young female called Lyra begins her journey and is destined to become the region's saviour, but it's not a path without obstacles. Lance/Lyra, game verse with a twist.

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to sunburn preventing, WorldNerd12 and The Fading Author for reviewing the previous chapter!

.

**Chapter Nine: Questions and Answers**

Battling the three grunts at the same time was difficult. They knew each other's moves extremely well while Lyra was still mastering her strategy. Both the Rattata's used struck hard and fast with Quick Attack, while the Zubat threw a Leech Seed on Toto's head. Lyra's team were already showing signs of weakenss and she hadn't even had the chance to land an attack yet.

Bagon, having no battling experience, looked ready to faint. She did what was best for her Pokemon, and called it back into its pokeball, and sent forth Starly to take over. Gible and Toto fared a little better but still took some damage. "Gible, use Tackle!" Gible hit one of the Rattata's. The Rattata stumbled backwards.

Now it was Toto's turn. "Water Gun, Toto!" Toto uttered a growl and jumped forward, drenching the other Rattata with water. The wet Rattata shook its body in an attempt to dry itself off. "Starly, use Tackle!" Starly threw its weight against the Zubat, knocking the bat out of the air.

"Not bad, farm girl. But we're only just getting started," taunted the blond. "Rattata, use Tackle!"

"Rattata, use Tackle as well!"

"Supersonic!"

The two Tackles hit, but fortunately, Supersonic missed. That brought great relief to Lyra. Having four Pokemon against two would be a battle she couldn't hope to win. "Gible, Tackle again! Starly, Wing Attack! Toto, Tackle!" she barked out her commands, and her trio took the offense. One of the Rattata's fainted. The blonde's Rattata.

He replaced the fainted Rattata with a Zubat. Not another one, Lyra groaned. "Supersonic!"

"Supersonic!"

"Tackle!"

Unfortunately, this time one of the Supersonics hit. Starly's eyes turned a misty grey, and the avian started flying around in circles and randomly dove towards the ground. She hit herself, and stumbled slightly. Gible and Toto were beginning to look tired now. Lyra knew they couldn't withstand more rounds of this. "Gible, Tackle! Toto, Water Gun!"

Luck finally started to shine in her favour. Both her Pokemon's attacks hit the Rattata and first Zubat hard, bringing them both down. The owners looked surprised; stunned that some unknown girl could bring them down like that. "Ekans!"

"Rattata!"

Another Rattata… and a purple snake? "Ekans, use Poison Sting!"

"Tackle, Rattata!"

"Supersonic!"

Another round of attacks and another round of damage taken. Starly was still confused and flying around in circles, but managed to avoid an attack. Gible wasn't so fortunate, taking two blows. Tackle threw him back and Poison Sting made him sick. Gible turned a shade of purple and winced. "Oh no," Lyra thought. "Poisoned!" She didn't have an Antidote on her. Her only hope was to get to the Pokemon Centre to cure Gible of poisoning before the poison caused Gible to faint.

"Give up?" the ginger taunted.

"Never," Lyra replied. Her heart beat began to quicken. Things weren't looking so good. Gible needed immediate help, but she couldn't flee in the middle of a battle. She had to fight and hope Gible could last the round. All her hopes rested on Toto now. "Gible, Tackle. Toto, Water Gun!" Gible struck the Rattata while Toto took aim at the Ekans.

Ekans hissed upon impact. Rattata cried out once hit. "Ekans, Bite!"

"Supersonic!"

"Tackle!"

The snake lunged at Toto, and tried to sink its fangs into Toto's neck, fortunately Toto jumped out of the way in the nick of time. Gible, on the other hand, was knocked off his feet. He lay on the ground, murmuring, waving its limbs around. Lyra had no choice but to recall him. Being forced to fight while poisoned seemed cruel. Bagon returned to the battlefield looking a little nervous. Fortunately, Starly had recovered from the confusion and had now returned to her normal state.

"Wing Attack, Starly! And Toto, finish that Rattata off with a Water Gun!" Lyra almost screamed. "Bagon, use Rage!"

Bagon uttered a weak roar and jumped forward, smoke exiting its nostrils. It hit the Rattata soon after Toto had, doing minimal damage but it was enough to cause the purple rodent to faint. Starly's Wing Attack had taken out the Zubat. The Zubat fell to the floor, flapping its wings weakly.

"Oh no, I'm out of Pokemon!" the stocky male said, falling to his knees.

"We clearly underestimated you," the ginger said. "But I will finish you off. Ekans, use Bite!"

The snake lunged at Toto again, this time managing to sink its fangs into Toto's neck. Totodile howled, and frantically shook itself trying to throw the snake off. Another Zubat replaced the fallen Zubat. Not again, Lyra thought. "Supersonic!"

Lyra was so grateful Supersonic was inaccurate. "Starly, finish that Ekans off with a Wing Attack! Bagon, use Rage again! Toto, end this battle, Water Gun!"

Her Pokemon fed off her energy, and threw themselves at their opponent. Both Ekans and Zubat fainted from the combined attacks. The two standing grunts also dropped to the floor, speechless. "Proton is going to be so mad… let's get out of here before he finds out and docks our pay!" said the stocky male youth. His two companions agreed. They grabbed their pokeballs and raced out of the room before Lyra could say anything.

Although she had won, it did not feel like a victory. Gible had been poisoned, Bagon had been severely wounded and Starly and Toto were running low on energy. The grunts spoke of Proton like he was their superior. Another difficult battle awaited her. She continued moving forward as her Pokemon struggled to keep up with her.

"…and that's the last tail. Archer will be pleased."

"You must be Proton," Lyra said.

Proton was a tall adult male with aqua hair that stuck out on both sides of his head like protruding horns. As with the grunts she had just defeated, he wore black clothes, but his hat had no Team Rocket symbol. The other stand out difference was that he wore grey boots and had white wristbands.

"You," he said, stepping towards her, a Slowpoke tail dangling in his left hand. "I trust you were the one causing the commotion back there?"

"Who are you people and why are you doing this?"

The man looked her up and down, clicking his tongue. "You're a trainer. You look a little older than the usual ones though. A late bloomer, I trust? You are lucky to have gotten this far, but your journey will end here." He pointed at her. "I'm Proton, one of the top trainers of the glorious Team Rocket and I challenge you to a battle. If you win, I'll tell you some information. And if you lose… well, you get nothing."

Gible was down. Bagon was too weak and inexperienced to take this fight. Starly was still pretty new. This battle would be decided by her exhausted Totodile. The fate of Slowpoke rested on her shoulders. She took in a deep breath and stepped towards Proton, crossing her fingers this battle would be hers.

.

His Xtransceiver vibrated. He immediately pulled it out and answered the call. "Hello?"

"Lance! You need to get back home now! It's an emergency! The Shiny Dratini has been stolen!"

Lance pulled the Xtransceiver away from his year, deafened by Clair's shrill shouts. Once the girl had ceased her shouting, he pulled it closer and answered. "I'll be there as quickly as possible." He cursed, almost hurling his Xtransceiver to the ground. Team Rocket. Damn thieves. Were they stationed in every single city throughout Johto? If so, there was no possible way he could stop them all.

Just the mental image of Team Rocket putting their filthy hands all over the Shiny Dratini made him sick. What did they want with the dragon? What was their game plan? So many questions, yet he had no answers. As much as he wanted to return back home to rescue the Shiny Dratini, he had to make sure the Team Rocket grunts stationed here weren't going to bring more harm to the Slowpoke.

Clair could handle Team Rocket in Blackthorn. He had to look out for Lyra in Azalea and make sure the girl didn't get hurt. Or worse, lose control of her Gible and have the dragon run rogue around the village. A baby dragon on a rampage could do a lot of damage. He knew quite well from experience. He remained outside the well. Any sound of trouble and he'd come to the rescue. He just had to wait for the right moment to-

"Oh my Arceus, Lance!"

He jerked his head in the direction of the source of the voice. There was a girl running towards him, her blue pigtails bouncing with each step. Marina. "Oh no," he mumbled, voice betraying fear. What in Arceus' name was the girl doing here of all places? He thought about running away but the girl was far too close now.

Marina lunged. Before Lance could make sense of what was happening, he felt himself getting squeezed rather tightly. Marina was hugging him so firmly. It was like she was afraid to let him go. "You look even better in person!" she said, pressing her head against his chest. "And you feel _so _good! My fantasies are real!"

Wrestling with dragons was tame in comparison to this girl. She was very determined to hold onto him. "Marina, pleasure to meet you," he said as politely as was possible when being hugged to death. He managed to pry the girl off him. "How did you know I was even here? I thought you'd be in Goldenrod?"

She smiled at beam, batting her eyelashes. "The nurse at the Pokemon Centre told me you were here! She's part of the Lance fanclub, silly."

Ah yes, his personal fanclub. How could he forget? He hadn't actually checked the site out afraid it might scar his mind forever. "Right. Of course." Dragonite just stood there watching, seemingly amused.

"Well, now that I have found you, you can answer the questions! The nurse has set up an open live chat so your fans can ask you questions." She grabbed his arm, dug her nails in deep, and dragged him away to the Pokemon Centre. Lance glanced back at the well, concerned. Lyra needed his help. She couldn't face the grunts that were down there on her own. She wasn't strong enough. "What are you doing? The Centre is this way," Marina demanded.

Being rude to other people was Clair's speciality, not his. He was only rude to people who deserved it, like Team Rocket members for example. Marina might be exceptionally annoying, but she wasn't evil. They arrived at the Pokemon Centre, and Lance was not surprised to find a laptop sitting on the counter. The nurse who had tended to him before stood beside it, smiling faintly.

"Okay, girls! I found him! The best, and cutest, Champion ever, Lance!" Marina squealed into the laptop. "You know the drill, ladies. Just type your question, send it through the chatroom and Lance will answer it live for you all to watch! Isn't that great? Okay," she said, glancing down at the screen. "The first question is from Rihanna, aged seventeen. Rihanna would like to know if you are single."

The less information he gave, the better in this case. That meant the girls would have less information to work with. Best to be as vague as possible. "Uh, yes."

Marina winked at him. "Don't forget to wave and smile in the camera. You are live, after all." Lance mustered up a fake grin and waved into the camera feeling like a complete utter dolt. He could be doing so many other important things right now like stopping Team Rocket than dealing with this nonsense. "Next question comes from Hayley, aged sixteen. Hayley says she really likes your cape. She wants to know where she can buy one from."

"Er, Celadon Department Store."

Marina pulled out a notepad and pen, and scribbled it down on the paper. Lance inwardly groaned. So, she was keeping track of this interview. Most likely she was going to post a transcript of the said interview onto her freaky fansite. He looked over her shoulder and caught the sentence, 'likes capes. Buys them from Celadon Department Store.'

"Tina, aged fifty five. Tina wants to know if you could marry her daughter."

This is getting rather creepy, Lance thought. It seemed like his fans cared nothing for his battling style. They only seemed to like him because he was the Champion and looked cool. "Not possible, sorry." He wasn't even past twenty yet. He had no desire at all to get married, nor even be in any relationship. Being the ultimate Dragon Master and saving the world from evil were the only things that mattered to him.

"Clair, aged sixteen. Clair wants to let you know that you look ridiculous right now." Marina frowned at that, and Lance immediately knew by the tone of those words, it was his bratty cousin behind the screen. How on earth did she know the website link? Oh, that's right. She read his letters. He experienced a fleeting emotion of fear. Did Clair have an account on there? What had she posted?

"And final question. Rebecca, aged sixteen. She would like to know if it's true that you sleep with a Dragonite plushie. She says she hopes it's true because that would be really cute. She also adds that she has bought one to remind her of you."

Damn Clair. "No. That's false information," he answered in a quiet, controlled tone. Now he was really going to have to check out all the information about him on this website.

"Sorry ladies, but that's all we have time for now. But don't worry. There will be another chance for a live chat with the gorgeous Champion of Johto and Kanto. I'll keep you updated! Keep checking 'Lance Fans Unite' every day for updates. Goodbye everyone."

Thank Arceus that was over now. "I'd love to stay, but I really must be going. There's someone I have to check up on," Lance said, edging away from Marina and the nurse girl. As soon as those words left his mouth, he regretted them immediately.

"Oh! Has some lucky girl caught your eye?" Marina said, trying to sound polite, but he could see a sense of jealousy in the way her expression hardened.

He replied quickly, not wanting to give her the wrong idea. "No, not at all. I didn't mean it that way. I'm on Champion business."

She studied him for a few brief seconds then smiled. "Oh, alright then. That's okay. Bye, Lance! So glad that I got to meet you in person! Don't forget about my show in Goldrenrod this coming weekend. I hope you'll be there!" She waved him goodbye and he strode out the Pokemon Centre as fast as possible, not daring himself to look back.

That was possibly the most terrifying thing he had ever had to do.

.

The battle started, and immediately Lyra found herself at a disadvantage. His Zubat's Supersonic had struck gold causing Totodile to run around in circles, chasing after his tail. If she had been a spectator, she would've found it quite cute – but this was a serious battle and she desperately needed Toto with a clear mind.

"Toto," she pleaded. "Use Water Gun!"

Toto used Water Gun… but hit her instead. Now she was soaking wet. Proton arched his neck back, and released a booming laugh which echoed throughout the cave. He ceased his laughter and looked at her, waving a finger at her face. "Little girl, you should quit while you are behind. You could not possibly believe you could defeat me, an elite member of the mighty Team Rocket? Such foolishness shall be punished." This time, Zubat use Leech Seed.

Lyra clenched her teeth, trying her hardest not to emit a cry of frustration. She had to have faith in herself, and in her partner. "Toto… I know you can hear me…" she said, in a voice barely above a whisper. "I believe in you." Toto's eyes returned to their normal colour. He snapped his jaws, and sent forth a powerful Water Gun, knocking Zubat out of the air.

Proton's eyes widened. He hadn't been expecting that. "Hmph, you have some power. Zubat, Supersonic!" Zubat's attack missed, fortunately.

"Toto, use Water Gun again!" This time, Toto's attack had done enough damage to take the bat down. Zubat was unconscious. Lyra almost did her victory dance, when Toto stumbled and fell face first onto the ground. Her eyes widened. "Toto!" She ran to her partner's side and knelt down beside him, looking through fearful eyes. Toto was shaking. Was he in pain? She could not tell.

The convulsing continued, growing more powerful with each passing second. Lyra was beyond horrified now – what on earth was happening? She could only watch her loyal partner go through a period of suffering. The shaking came to a sudden stop. Lyra reached out a hand to touch her partner, but drew it back immediately when Toto began to glow. She glimpsed at Proton. He looked more impressed than surprised. Whatever was happening to Toto couldn't be a bad thing then.

The white light disappeared and Toto was no longer there. A new creature stood in its place. A blue and yellow crocodile stood at her side, reaching to a height of Lyra's shoulder. He had three clusters of red spikes on its body: one with three points on its head like a crest, one with two points on its back, and a diamond-shaped spike on its tail. It looked like Totodile, only it was taller, bulkier and much more intimidating to look at.

The Pokemon had black markings around its red eyes, giving it a rather imposing look. But what caught her eye was the asymmetrical, yellow pattern on the Pokemon's chest. It looked like spotted animal skin. She held up her Pokedex to receive data. _"Totodile's second evolution is Croconaw. If it loses a fang, a new one grows back in its place. There are always forty eight fangs lining its mouth."_

Her cute Totodile had evolved? So that explained the past few horrifying seconds. Totodile was simply evolving. She looked at her Croconaw and smiled. "You had me worried there for a moment." Croconaw smiled back, revealing a sharp row of fangs. Lyra felt sorry for any Pokemon on the receiving end of a Croconaw's bite. She turned to Proton. "This battle is far from over."

"You're lucky your Pokemon evolved, but it's not going to save you. Koffing!"

A round purple Pokemon appeared, hovering in the air. Lyra couldn't tell how it remained in the air for it had no wings at all. An unidentifiable gas shrouded the Koffing. It had no smell, but it made her feel sick. Whatever it was, Lyra felt herself coming down with cold-like symptoms. She wiped her eyes and sniffed. Her Pokedex provided a brief explanation.

"_Koffing. Its thin, filmy body is filled with gases that cause constant sniffles, coughs and teary eyes."_

"Koffing, use Tackle!"

Koffing tackled. Croconaw held its ground, and pushed the Koffing back. "Croconaw, use Bite!" Croconaw opened its powerful jaws, and sunk his fangs into the Koffing's armour. The Koffing struggled to free itself against his grip.

"Koffing, use Smog!"

Purple toxic gas exited through the holes in Koffing's body, travelling down Croconaw's windpipe. Croconaw's eyes widened. The reptile released its jaws, staggering back coughing. More tears flowed down Lyra's face. She too coughed. "Use Water Gun!" Lyra ordered, just as another cough left her.

Croconaw turned a shade of purple. Poisoned, just like Gible. Time was running out. She needed to end this battle now or lose everything. Water Gun drenched the Koffing, plugging its holes. Proton cursed. "Infuriating reptile. Koffing, Tackle!" he spat. Koffing hurled itself at Croconaw. Once again, Croconaw held its ground.

"Use Bite!"

Jaws sunk into Koffing's rock hard body. Lyra was surprised Toto's teeth didn't break. The Koffing wheezed, its eyes rolling back into its head. It flopped to the floor, unmoving. "Impossible!" Proton exclaimed.

Realization that she had just won sunk in. "We did it… We actually did it…"

"We will meet again, and next time, you won't be so lucky!" Proton spat. He made a break for the exit, leaving Lyra alone in the Well. She broke out of her trance and threw herself at Croconaw, hugging the reptile tightly. "You did it, you did it! You saved the Slowpoke!" she cheered.

"That was a magnificent battle! Perhaps…"

Lyra expected to see Kurt standing there, but instead she saw an adult female wearing a red Kimono dress. She stopped dancing, looking a little embarrassed. How long had this lady been standing there for? "Oh. Um…"

"The way you battled against that evil man… the bond you share with your Pokemon… perhaps you can… No. It's too early to know yet," the lady said, as if she was talking to more to herself than to Lyra. She looked at Lyra thoughtfully, and smiled. "There is much potential in you, dear girl. What you just did – is a miraculous achievement for one so inexperienced. I believe you will continue to do great things."

Before Lyra could ask further questions, the Kimono girl turned around and walked away. What had just happened there? Who was that lady? She thought about pursing the Kimono girl when Kurt entered, huffing and puffing. He glanced around the Well. "I saw two Rocket Grunts exit out the front. You saved the Slowpoke."

"It was nothing, really," Lyra said.

"You did a great deed for Azalea Town, and you will be remembered as the trainer who saved the Slowpoke. Please, come with me. You have earned yourself a warm meal and a nice bed for the night," he said, leading Lyra back to his house. A nice bed and a good meal sounded good, she thought.

.

Lance hurried to the Well, hoping he wasn't too late. If Lyra had failed, which was highly likely considering she was just a rookie, then he'd blame himself for not being there. The whole scenario with Marina had been an excellent way to waste time. He made a mental note to disguise himself the next time he went into town.

What was this? He came to a sudden stop, ducking behind a building. Lyra and Kurt walked past. They were both smiling. Lance caught the words, 'Team Rocket defeated', and 'saved the Slowpoke' as they passed by. He also noticed the rather large Croconaw following behind Lyra. The girl had saved the Slowpoke _and_ gotten her Totodile to evolve?

He had to admit. He was rather impressed. It was such a big achievement for an inexperienced trainer. If someone had told him that a girl had defeated Team Rocket in her first few days as a trainer, he would've laughed if he hadn't already seen the girl battle. The Elder had been right. There was something truly special about this girl.

He hadn't seen much of her, nor did he know much about her, but from what he had seen he could make the conclusion that she was a trainer worth watching. She battled with heart and passion. She was loyal and caring towards her Pokemon. She fought for honour and justice. She had all the makings of being a Dragon Master if she were to decide to walk down that path.

Shame poured through him. He had doubted the girl, convincing himself she couldn't handle Team Rocket. But she had proved him wrong, and achieved what he had been unable to do. Drive Team Rocket away from Azalea Town and the Slowpoke Well.

His Transceiver vibrated again, bringing him out of his thoughts. "Hello?"

"Lance!" Clair exclaimed. "Why aren't you here yet? I'm not lying. Get here now!"

Oh, right. The stolen Dratini. Clair was the one that needed supervising, not Lyra. He felt a little sad to be leaving now. He was curious to see how Lyra would continue to grow as a trainer, but duty called. "Come on Dragonite, you've got a long flight ahead of you. We have to head back to Blackthorn." Dragonite nodded, lowering himself down a little, so Lance could climb onto his back. Once he was on, Dragonite jumped into the air and flew off towards home.


	11. Becoming a Legend

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Pokemon unfortunately

**Title**

Divine Destiny

**Summary**

Three years have passed since Team Rocket fell apart, but now they have returned under the leadership of a new ruler. While evil spreads, a young female called Lyra begins her journey and is destined to become the region's saviour, but it's not a path without obstacles. Lance/Lyra, game verse with a twist.

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to WorldNerd12, Kitsunekit75, The Fading Author and sunburn preventing for reviewing the previous chapter : ) Also, thanks to RodQuest for reviewing the first two chapters.

Oh and one important note – I made a silly mistake in the beginning chapters with Toto's gender – Toto is a male not a female. The issue has now been resolved.

.

**Chapter Ten: Becoming a Legend**

It was often believed Mt. Silver was uninhabitable by humans due to its wild terrain and rough unpredictable weather. There were four seasons; winter, spring, summer and autumn, and each season brought with it such wild weather Mt. Silver had earned itself another name - the Desolate Mountain. Courageous adventurers often tried to climb the highest peak in the region, but no one had ever made it past halfway.

Or at least that's what the townsfolk believed.

"Pika, pika." A little yellow rodent stepped out from the silver fern tree, and sniffed the ground, its ears standing erect. Its ears twitched. The rodent paused to observe its surroundings. It lowered its belly to the floor and stared directly ahead at some pine trees. The rodent relaxed when a human appeared from behind.

The human was a young male. A trainer to be precise. He wore a red cap backwards, dressed in simple denim jeans and wore a red and white jacket with a black shirt underneath. His eyes rested on the rodent, and the corners of his mouth curved upwards into a smile. The rodent rushed forwards and sat at the trainer's legs, huddling up against him, as a chilly powerful gust blew through the peak.

The trainer moved towards the mountain's edge and looked down at the world below. The skies were abnormally clear today – usually, the peak was covered in thick cloud. He took it as a sign. When the clouds cleared it meant things were going to get interesting around here. Whether that was a good or a bad thing remained to be seen. He couldn't see into the future, but he did know one fact – his time on Mt. Silver was coming to an end.

The mountain had been his home for the past three years now braving the conditions with his team of loyal Pokemon. Some days he regretted moving here – sometimes he wondered what life would've been like if he had stayed at the League fulfilling his duties as the Champion of the region. Sometimes, he missed the companionship other people provided. And other days, he was glad he made the decision to make Mt. Silver his home.

He lived a simple life in small cottage he had built with assistance of his Pokemon. He had no television, no fridge, no table… nothing at all, but a fireplace made of sticks in the centre of the house. He slept, and ate, on the floor. When he wasn't sleeping or eating, he spent his daylight hours training his Pokemon, perfecting his technique and the mastering the art of battling. No trainer in any region could match up to his skill and strength.

Even the current Champion of Johto and Kanto, could not hope to match him in battle. Although the Champion was skilled, his style was all wrong and lacked any real form of strategy. He relied on pure power alone, something Red wasn't too fond of. It's why he refused to battle Lance. He didn't want to fight a trainer that was predictable and he didn't want to battle against someone who thought themselves as superior because they trained a certain type. All Pokemon deserved to be treated equally, no matter what their type was.

Red wanted to battle someone who was a real Champion. Someone who shared a bond with their Pokemon that was as strong as the one he shared with his. A bond so strong that even a legendary would sense it and bend to the will of that trainer. The legendaries he had captured had long since left his service.

The three elemental felines, Entei, Suicine and Raikou roamed Johto and Kanto looking for the next worthy trainer. The three elemental birds, Moltres, Zapdos and Articuno, had chosen to return to their homes and wait instead. His former Mewtwo, the psychic Pokemon, was hiding at the bottom of Cerulean Cave. As for Ho-Oh and Lugia, they were both in hiding, waiting for the next trainer with a pure heart to show themselves. Unlike the other legendaries, Red did not know if the two were even in Johto anymore. Other legendaries from different regions had also moved to Johto, searching for the next special trainer.

Needless to say, he was a little surprised to catch a rare glimpse of a rainbow above the horizon. His moves moved to the end of the rainbow and spotted a large black dot. His senses told him Ho-Oh had returned. Rainbows just didn't appear randomly like that. He arched his neck back, looking up. He had been right to assume this was a sign. A sign the next legendary trainer was eventually going to reach Mt. Silver.

.

"Whatever happened to Red anyway?" Lyra asked, after taking a sip from her mug of hot chocolate. It was still reasonably warm outside, but she couldn't say no to a free hot chocolate.

Kurt sat down across the girl with his granddaughter sitting directly at his side. "Many believe Red moved to a different region after he had defeated the League. Some people even believe the boy had died."

Lyra frowned, thoughtful. "What do you think happened to him?"

"I believe he still calls Kanto his home."

"But why would he want to hide?"

Kurt cleared his throat. "Being a Champion is a huge responsibility. You are the most powerful trainer in the region; you represent the values and beliefs a trainer should have. You are the guardian of the land and it's your duty to look out for the people," Kurt explained. "To become the Champion is one of the many reasons trainers take on this long journey. Many people want to be recognized for their talents and feel this is the best way to do this, but only a small percentage of trainers earn all eight badges. A tiny percentage of those eight trainers make it past Victory Road. And out of those fortunate trainers, only one percent will make it to the top."

Lyra almost choked on a marshmallow. "One percent?" Her eyes were wide. One percent of trainers who made it to the League won the title. Her chances of claiming the trophy were looking rather slim now. "How does someone even make it that far then? How did Red manage to do it? Did people ask him?"

"Red was a rare case. He never spoke – whether he couldn't speak or simply chose not to, we will never know. What became apparent throughout his adventures was that he was a different type of trainer. His connection with Pokemon was stronger than those who had been trainers for decades. His mascot Pokemon didn't even need to reach its final evolution to win difficult matches."

"What Pokemon did he use?" Lyra asked, leaning forward. Hearing about Red's legendary adventures made her admire him even more than she had in the past. Red had come from nothing, and yet he had gone on to forge a legend that would last forever. His adventures were inspiring.

"He had a Lapras, a Venosaur, a Blastoise, a Snorlax, a Charizard and a Pikachu," Kurt said. "The media constantly made fun of his choices, especially Red's Pikachu. The Pokemon never reached its final evolution, yet it displayed power a Raichi didn't have. Red proved all his critics wrong when he claimed the title from Blue. Some trainers today don't wish to evolve their Pokemon to the final stage hoping they can follow the steps his Pikachu had created."

Lyra took another sip of her drink. "I can see why people label him as legendary then." She finished her drink and stood up, wiping her mouth clean of the chocolate. "Thank you for your hospitality."

Kurt smiled. "Thank you for saving the Slowpoke. You have done a great deed here and you will be remembered for it." He looked at her Croconaw, his smile growing wider. "Go now, and take on the gym challenge. Follow in the footsteps of Red. May luck be with you," he said, bowing. His granddaughter led Lyra out of the house, giving the girl a parting hug before Lyra exited.

She looked back and waved then made her way to the gym.

.

As he rode on the back of Dragonite, he couldn't stop thinking about the events that had just passed. His thoughts were centred on a girl – a rookie fourteen year old female – which he found unsettling. The girl had done something he hadn't been able to. His duty as Champion was to stop evil organizations like Team Rocket from bringing harm to the land, but she had taken that away from him.

She wasn't the Champion of Johto and Kanto. She was just some trainer starting out on their journey to make it to the top. It wasn't in her job description to take on criminals. That was supposed to be his task. And he had failed, just like he had failed to claim the title as Champion correctly. Lyra was too young and innocent to be thrown into this mess. But if he had been able to do his duty correctly, then she wouldn't have had to be the one to save the Slowpoke.

He needed a chance to prove to himself that he was worthy of being a true Champion. That he was worthy enough to be the head of the Pokemon League. People expected their Champions to do great things – people still talked about Red's legendary deeds even to this day. When people spoke of Lance, they often talked about his appearance and the power of his dragons, but never about his heroic achievements because he had none. The Slowpoke were saved by an inexperienced trainer. He wouldn't be surprised if the girl somehow managed to save the Shiny Dratini as well. After all, hadn't his grandfather seen in a vision Lyra was going to be the one to defeat Team Rocket?

Suddenly, he saw the truth: he didn't want Lyra getting herself involved with Team Rocket not because he wanted her to be safe, but so he would have the chance to finally prove he was a true Champion. He felt threatened by her the very moment his grandfather had said Lyra would be the one to save the world and dethrone him as Champion. He was rocked by another realization. He was jealous over _a rookie female trainer. _He, the world's greatest Dragon Master and Champion of both Johto and Kanto, was jealous because of some girl called Lyra.

How the rest of the region would laugh if they ever found out. He forced thoughts of Lyra aside, choosing to focus on the path ahead. He could see Blackthorn Gym now. They were close. The opportunity to stop Team Rocket would not escape from him. Not this time.

.

As soon as Lyra stepped inside, she felt her insides tighten. It was like she had stepped into a forest again, only this one was populated with trainers and cobwebs. The deep dark seemingly bottomless pits only added to her already nervous state. "Welcome to the Azalea Gym! This gym is led by Bugsy, a specialist Bug-type trainer. To get across, you simply have to climb on the right spider. Step on the wrong one and you'll find yourself at a dead end, or facing one of the trainers," the gym advisor said. "Make sure you have at least one Flying-type on your team."

She thanked him for his advice and stepped towards the first set of three spiders. Getting on the back of one those things made her feel a little squeamish – she was no fan of bugs. But upon closer inspection, she noticed they were mechanical and not actually real spiders. That made her feel better. Slightly better.

She stepped towards the middle one and examined her surroundings. The opposite platform on the far left side was empty, while the far one on the right had a trainer. Her direct opposite was where she needed to go, but she wanted to fight the trainer first to get an idea of what she could face at the end.

So she stepped on the middle spider, after returning her Toto to its pokeball for safety reasons. The Spinarak kart moved across the different rails until it reached its destination. Lyra jumped off and prepared to face off against Bug Trainer AI. She called out her first Pokemon, Starly. The Bug Trainer simply smirked. "You think you'll win just because you have a bird? Think again, trainer."

So many cocky trainers. Looks like I have to put another trainer in their rightful place, she thought. AI summoned his first Pokemon which was a Caterpie. Lyra felt the urge to laugh. How could such a cute looking caterpillar beat a bird? She pointed a finger at the Caterpie and issued her first command. "Starly, use Wing Attack!"

Having a type advantage gave Starly extra attacking power and the Caterpie was knocked out before it could retaliate. The trainer's smirk faded, eyes growing wide. He wiped a few beads of sweat away and called out his next Pokemon. This one also looked like a caterpillar only it was brown and equipped with a two-inch singer on its head and tail. She pulled out her Pokedex for answers.

"_Weedle. Its poison stinger is very powerful. Its bright-coloured body is intended to warn off its enemies."_

"Starly, use Wing Attack again!"

Flapping its wings Starly summoned two small funnels of feathers and directed them towards the Weedle. As with the Caterpie, the bug Pokemon was at a huge disadvantage. The Weedle was knocked out before it could attack. This is rather easy, Lyra thought. Surely, this couldn't be it? She'd steamroll this gym at the rate.

"My precious bug Pokemon!" AI wept, dropping to his knees, cradling his fainted Pokemon.

Lyra turned away and hopped back on the kart and returned to her original starting point. This time, she took the kart on the far left. This one would take her to the opposite middle platform. Fortunately, the ride was a short one. Lyra hopped off, walked forwards and soon found herself facing the next trainer, Benny.

"I will show you the power of bug Pokemon!" the boy declared, summoning his first one. A Weedle appeared.

Instead of using her Starly, Lyra summoned her Bagon. Bagon was still in its very early stages and needed a little bit more experience. Fighting against weak bug Pokemon seemed like a good way to get that experience. "Bagon, use Bite!" Bagon jumped forward, clamping its jaws around the Weedle.

The Weedle fought hard to free itself from the Bagon's jaws and somehow managed to escape. "Weedle, use Poison Sting!" The Weedle jumped forward, head butting the Bagon underneath the chin, driving its stinger deep. Bagon hissed and fought back, throwing the Weedle off. Fortunately, the Weedle's stinger had not gotten too far in to cause poisoning.

"Bagon, use Bite again!"

Bagon lunged forward and once again clamped its jaws around the Weedle's frail body. The Weedle tried to free itself, but this time failed to escape. Bagon shook its head left and right then left again, releasing the Weedle at the third shake. The Weedle fell to the ground, unconscious. Another win for me, Lyra thought.

Bug Trainer Benny brought out his second Pokemon. A funny looking yellow cocoon appeared. Its pitch black eyes were quite large for its body size. Unlike the Caterpie, this one was rather freaky to look at, but didn't look that strong either. Once again, Lyra brought out her Pokedex to obtain additional information.

"_Kakuna. The evolved form of Weedle. Although it is a cocoon, it can move a little. It can extend its poison barb if it is attacked."_

"Bagon, use Bite!"

"Kakuna, use Harden!"

The Kakuna was the first to move. The Pokemon did not attack, but temporarily changed to a silver colour. Lyra had a feeling it had somehow improved its defence meaning it would be harder to bring down. Bagon attacked. He tried to bite down on the Kakuna, but the Pokemon improved defences made it difficult for Bagon's attack to be effective.

Lyra recalled her Bagon and swapped it out for Starly. "Starly, use Wing Attack!" Starly flapped. The mini funnels struck the bug Pokemon hard, causing it to faint. The boy kicked the ground, spitting at the floor.

"You are pretty good to take down my two Pokemon. But you won't past my third. Beedrill!"

Needless to say, the Beedrill caught Lyra by surprise. She expected a Caterpie or another Weedle, but instead she faced a wasp. It looked down at her now, large red eyes glaring down at her. The Beedrill waved its two long, conical stingers at her and buzzed. "Beedrill, use Fury Attack!" The Beedrill buzzed again, much louder this time, drowning out any other noise. It flew up into the air, raised its two stingers, and flew towards the Starly.

The stingers struck Starly several times over, each one inflicting a small percentage of damage. Fortunately, Starly didn't seem that affected by it, and flapped back into the air, circling the wasp. "Starly, finish that Beedrill off with a Wing Attack!" Using the same move over and over again wasn't the best strategy, but it sure was effective. Besides, her Pokemon didn't know enough moves yet to develop a strategy so for now, hitting hard and fast was the most efficient way to win a tough battle.

Although the Beedrill looked menacing, it was quickly taken down. "I can't believe it!" the boy exclaimed, jaw agape. "You defeated my bug Pokemon."

Lyra just shrugged. What else could she say? She continued past the boy until she reached another Spinarak kart. The rails she had to cross were more complex than the section she had just passed. They also had different colours – grey, red and blue. She could see four trainers standing on the opposite side. On the far left, she spotted a blue switch next to two twin girls, and on the far right, a lone bug trainer. She couldn't see any signs of a red switch and she suspected it was on her side. Probably opposite to the twins, she thought.

The trainer in the middle looked back at her from across the gaping hole, giving Lyra a mocking grin. He was short; probably about the same height as herself. He also had strange coloured hair like Falkner. Falkner hair blue hair, this guy had purple hair. Lyra began to wonder if the other trainers in Johto all had unnatural coloured hair. Now how do I get across, she thought, looking around.

Unlike the previous section, there was only one kart. Lyra figured she had to use the switches to steer her into the right section, but first she needed to battle the other gym trainers. She flipped the blue switch on and moved onto the Spinarak kart. The kart moved, crossed over the first right beam and moved upwards towards the bug trainer. She climbed off and prepared to battle again.

She caught a glimpse of his nametag. Josh. "Can you work out how to use the switches to reach Bugsy?" The boy threw out his pokeball and Lyra did the same. She summoned her Starly. An orange insect appeared. It peered up at Lyra with big wide eyes. It almost looked cute.

"_Paras. It is doused with mushroom spores when it is born. As its body grows, mushrooms sprout from its back." _Having a mushroom growing out of your back sounded like an annoyance, Lyra thought. But having a mushroom wasn't going to make its defences stronger.

"Starly, use Wing Attack!"

Another critical blow and another Pokemon down. Her team was doing quite well – not one of her Pokemon had suffered a major blow and there were only two trainers left before the gym leader. She ignored the boy's complaints and hopped back onto the kart. The kart took her back to her previous position. This time, she turned the blue switch on again making the blue railing available to cross.

She hopped back onto the kart and followed the same route she had taken to reach the boy, but this time she crossed the blue railing. The kart moved to the left, crossing over onto the red railing which brought her to the identical twins. Amy and May. The girls traded smiles. "If you can defeat us then you're strong enough to take on the leader!" Together, the girls threw their pokeballs.

"Ledyba!"

"Spinarak!"

Two more new bug Pokemon. The Ledyba reminded her of a ladybeetle while the Spinarak looked exactly the karts she had been using to get across. Even though she knew what their names were now, she still wanted to obtain information.

"_Ledyba. It is very timid. It will be afraid to move if it is alone. But it will be active if it is in a group."_

"_Spinarak. It lies still in the same pose for days in its web, waiting for its unsuspecting prey to wander close."_

Lyra put her Pokedex away and summoned her Starly and Gible to take the battle.

"Gible, use Dragon Rage! Starly, use Wing Attack!"

Together, her Pokemon attacked their opponents. Dragon Rage wiped out Ledyba and Starly's Wing Attack took out Spinarak within seconds. This gym had been ridiculously easy so far she was beginning to wonder if the gym leader was even going to be a challenge. The twins started to cry. Lyra moved quickly, flicking the blue switch besides the twins on.

She hopped back onto the Spinarak kart and moved towards her direct opposite side where the red switch was. Fortunately, there were no trainers on this side. She flipped it on and hopped on the kart again and moved towards the gym leader. Having turned on and off the correct switches, the path to the gym leader had become available.

The boy jumped into the air, waving his bug net around. He settled and pointed the net at her. "I'm Bugsy! I never lose when it comes to Bug-type Pokemon. My research is going to make me an authority on Bug-type Pokemon! Let me demonstrate what I've learnt from my studies."

Was the boy stronger than he looked? This could be another one of those, 'looks can be deceiving cases'. She took in a deep breath and braced herself for a tough fight.

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This was more of a filler-chapter. Sorry guys, but it needed to be done. I'm not going to write out wild Pokemon battles anymore unless Lyra is catching a new Pokemon. There are going to be a lot of battles throughout this story and to keep things interesting (and not bore you guys to death), I will only write out the significant battles. Wild battles and battles against travelling trainers will happen in between updates and scene changes.

As for Lance, I hope that wasn't too much of a jump in personality. I see him (in this story anyway) as a very duty bound character who wishes to do all he can to prove to the world (and himself) that he is the rightful and deserving Champion, and he feels that can be done by defeating Team Rocket like Red had. So when he is told by the Elder that Lyra will be the one to do this, he's less than pleased. Even though he's come to respect her slightly, he still feels it's his role to be the hero. Of course, those negative emotions will eventually turn into something else but that won't happen for awhile.

As of this update, I have already completed the next three chapters. I'm writing a chapter a day (sometimes more than that), so keep an eye out for some quick updates. All chapters are planned in detail, so the story will not be rushed at all.

See you in the next chapter everyone!

Reviews are much appreciated, as always!


	12. Bugged Out

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Pokemon unfortunately

**Title**

Divine Destiny

**Summary**

Three years have passed since Team Rocket fell apart, but now they have returned under the leadership of a new ruler. While evil spreads, a young female called Lyra begins her journey and is destined to become the region's saviour, but it's not a path without obstacles. Lance/Lyra, game verse with a twist.

**Special Thanks**

Jw, Kitsunekit75, Guest, The Fading Author, WorldNerd12 and sunburn preventing for reviewing the previous chapter : D And thanks to those who still have this story on their favourites/alerts list. You guys are the best!

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**Chapter Eleven: Bugged Out**

The battle had already commenced. Bugsy had immediately quashed all her beliefs that bug Pokemon were weak when Scyther appeared on the field. It was truly an intimidating Pokemon, with blade-like forearms that were capable of slicing through logs. The arms reminded her of a scythe. She did not look forward to her Pokemon being on the receiving end of those blades.

Bugsy lifted a finger and pointed it at Lyra, flicking a strand of hair away from his face. If Lyra didn't already know Bugsy was a guy, she would've assumed Bugsy was a she. "Many people say that Bug-type Pokemon are weak. I'm here to prove to you that Bug types can handle anything. Give it your best shot, trainer… but don't come crying to me after you lose. Scyther, use U-Turn!"

Faster than the human eye could see, Scyther struck hard and fast, throwing itself into a ball. It struck Starly hard, almost knocking the avian over. Lyra knew Starly wouldn't be able to withstand an attack like that again. Scyther returned to its pokeball and was immediately replaced by a Kakuna. Lifting an eyebrow, Lyra looked at Bugsy for an explanation.

"A Pokemon that uses U-Turn returns to its trainer. That's too bad for you and Starly, but good news for me."

Well, at least it was only a Kakuna and not another Scyther. "Starly, use Wing Attack!" Fortunately for Lyra's sake, Bugsy's Kakuna was laughably weak. It was not much stronger than the other Kakuna's she had faced. Bugsy didn't even show any concern when his Kakuna fainted – it was as if he expected that to happen.

Once Kakuna fainted, Bugsy called out his Scyther again. Dammit, thought Lyra. Starly couldn't survive another attack – she had to change or lose her one real weapon against the super bug. She swapped out her Starly for Toto, hoping to rely on the reptile's heavy bulk.

"Scyther, use Quick Attack!"

Scyther slammed into Croconaw, causing the reptile to stumble backwards. Fortunately, Toto was sturdy enough to remain on its feet. "Toto, use Bite!" Unfortunately, for Lyra, Scyther was much faster and attacked again before Lyra had a chance. The Scyther used Quick Attack again, striking Lyra's Pokemon hard. Croconaw was hanging on by a mere thread. Come on Toto, Lyra silently hoped. Please inflict some form of damage.

Croconaw lunged forward and bit down on one of the Scyther's arms. The opponent's Pokemon fought back, using its other forearm to free itself from Croconaw's grip. A hiss of pain left Croconaw's mouth as the Scyther removed its arm. "Scyther, use U-Turn!"

Not again, Lyra thought. The attack was powerful enough to cause Croconaw to faint. Her heart beat began to quicken as sweat beads formed on her head. Using the back palm of her hand, she wiped the beads away, but the nerves were still there. How could she defeat something that moved so damn fast?

A strange looking green shell replaced Scyther. Lyra used her Pokedex to obtain information. _"Metapod. The evolved form of Caterpie. Inside the shell, it is soft and weak as it prepares to evolve. It stays motionless in the shell." _It didn't look intimidating at all which proved to Lyra, Bugsy's Metapod and Kakuna were shields for Scyther. Now if only she could take that bug down…

"Starly!" She brought back her trusty avian to the field. "Wing Attack!" At least this time she managed to land an attack first. The Metapod fainted. Starly flapped to the ground and froze. Lyra raised an eyebrow. "Starly?" she repeated.

Starly closed her eyes and sat on the floor, as if it were sitting on a nest. It tucked its head under its wings and started to vibrate. A while glow emanated from it as the Pokemon continued to shake. Having seen this before with her Totodile, Lyra wasn't frightened, but she was still concerned. Did the Pokemon feel pain when it evolved?

A few seconds later a much larger version of Starly stood before her. The avian's feathers were still the same colour, only they were longer. The bird also looked less cute than its baby version, sacrificing cuteness for a more mature look. The tuft of feathers on the bird's head curved forward, now twice as long as it had been before. _"Staravia. The evolved form of Starly. They flock around mountains and fields, chasing after bug Pokemon."_

Lyra couldn't help but think the Kakuna and Metapod had possibly won the battle for her, giving her Starly the experience it needed to evolve. Now Staravia was faster and stronger – possibly strong enough to defeat Scyther with one lucky hit. According to her Pokedex, Staravia could learn a new move – Double Team, which increased the Pokemon's evasion ability.

But in order for her Staravia to learn it, she needed to forget another. Double Team could potentially win her the battle if luck was on her side, but what move to sacrifice? Tackle? Quick Attack? Wing Attack? Growl, the move she never used? There wasn't much time to think about it. She decided to forget Growl. "Staravia, forget Growl. Learn Double Team."

Apparently, Pokemon could be commanded to forget moves when evolving and levelling up. It was a difficult process to understand, but she suspected that every Pokemon knew their moves. They just had to be at a certain level to be able to use it. Staravia nodded, began to glow a deep shade of red then jumped into the air, circling high above the Scyther.

"So your Pokemon evolved. It still won't be strong enough to defeat my Scyther. Even though it's my last Pokemon, Bug Pokemon are tough! Scyther, use Quick Attack!" Scyther dashed forward, moving so fast it was just a blur to Lyra's eyes. But to Staravia's eyes, Scyther might as well have been walking. The avian evaded the attack and retaliated with a Wing Attack which did major damage to the speedy bug.

Scyther took a few steps backwards, hunched over panting. Bugsy looked worried now. Lyra caught him wiping sweat beads of his forehead. "Hang in there! Just a little more!" he cried out. Scyther stood up straight, but Lyra could see the noticeable signs of exhaustion in the Pokemon's eyes and forced posture. Just one more hit, she thought. "Scyther, use U-Turn!"

Curling itself up into a ball, the Scyther threw itself forward. "Staravia, counter-attack with Wing Attack!" At least Scyther couldn't swap out with another Pokemon this time, leaving it vulnerable. Scyther's attack hit hard still despite it being in quite a weakened state. Fortunately, Staravia managed to withstand the blow. If she hadn't evolved Lyra knew the avian would've fainted.

The Scyther returned to its position. Staravia counter-attacked. As Lyra had expected, her attack was enough to take down the Scyther thus winning her the match. Scyther remained still, swaying slightly then fell forward landing face-first. Lyra jumped into the air. "I did it!" she cheered. Staravia stretched her wings out and danced around in a circle.

Bugsy retrieved his fainted Scyther, said something Lyra's ears didn't catch then hurried over to congratulate Lyra on winning the battle. "Whoa, amazing! You're an expert on Pokemon! My research isn't complete yet. Ok, you win. Take this Badge." He reached down into the pockets of his shorts and handed Lyra a red and black circular badge. It looked a bit like a Ledyba's back now that Lyra thought about it. The badge had three black dots and a mostly red background except for the top which was also black.

"Thanks," she said, adding the badge to her growing collection.

"Do you know the benefits of the Hive Badge? If you have a Pokemon that knows Cut, you will be able to use it outside of battle too. Here, I also want you to have this." He reached down into a different pocket and pulled out a small bottle of greenish liquid. "TM89 contains U-turn. It lets your Pokemon attack then switches with the next Pokemon in your party. Isn't that great? Bug-type Pokemon are deep. There are many mysteries to explore. Study your top choices thoroughly."

"I'll keep that in mind," Lyra replied, giving the leader a handshake.

"I know you'll go far. Your next stop should be Goldenrod City. To get there you have to travel through Ilex Forest. You'll need Cut though, so make sure one of your Pokemon knows the move." He waved his goodbyes as Lyra hopped back onto a Spinarak kart. Two gyms down and only six more to go.

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Lyra wasn't exactly sure where to find the move Cut – when she asked the people in the city they simply looked a little confused and told her to ask the Charcoal Man. She sought the Charcoal Man out but he wasn't at home. Was he hiding in Ilex Forest? There didn't seem to be anything else she could do here.

But first, she was going to pay the Pokemon Centre and Pokemart a much needed visit. As she headed towards the Pokemon Centre, a lady wearing a Kimono dress approached her. She did not look like the other lady she had seen in the Slowpoke Well, although the girls did share similar features. Black hair tied up in a bun, the same eye shape, the same jaw structure…

"You defeated your second gym leader… I thought you might have gotten lucky getting past Falkner… but defeating Bugsy as well…" The Kimono Girl rubbed her jaw, looking Lyra up and down. "Such dedication… such skill for one so inexperienced… Is it possible?"

"What are you talking about?"

The Kimono Girl ignored her. "A pure heart… perhaps… she is the one…" A soft smile crossed her face. "We will meet again." Before Lyra could ask any more questions, the Kimono Girl walked away. Weird, thought Lyra. That was the second Kimono Girl that approached her in the same strange manner, as if she were special or something.

Lost in her thoughts, Lyra was oblivious to a phone call. It vibrated several times in her pocket until she finally noticed a loud buzzing noise. She reached down, picked it up and answered the call. "Hi sweetie!"

"Mum!"

Her mother chuckled. "Where are you now?"

"In… Azalea Town."

"Oh my, you've travelled quite some distance already, haven't you? I forgot to tell you before, but I opened a new bank account for you so we don't have to share the same one. I'll transfer all the money you have earned into your own personal account so you can manage it personally. But if you deposit a tiny amount of money in my bank account, I can purchase items for your journey."

A bank account to protect her hard earned savings? It was a good idea. After all, if she lost a battle she'd have to hand over ten percent of her current earnings to the victor. Carrying around stash loads of cash wasn't a smart idea. What if the bag got stolen? Or worse, what if she lost all her money against difficult trainers? "You know you don't have to ask. Of course you can."

"Thank you, sweetie! I'll be sure to get your something good. I'll let you know when I've bought you something. Bye!" Her mother hung up on the phone and Lyra put it away. How much money had she earned now anyway? She had been so fixated on winning battles she hadn't even noticed the money she had earned.

She stopped, pulled out her bag and opened it, peeking inside. She counted at least six thousand dollars. "Wow," she gasped. Six thousand dollars was more money than she had ever seen in her life and it was all hers! Her Pokemon had earned her the lot from winning battles. To repay her hard working team, she was going to visit the PokeMart and buy a lot of potions.

.

A couple of hours had passed since Lyra had entered the PokeMart. It was amazing how quickly time flew by when shopping for items. Lyra purchased ten potions, a couple of status healing potions and a few more pokeballs and placed them in her bag. Her bag was so full now she could barely fit it on her back. The mysterious Pokemon egg was still in there. She thought about storing it in her Pokemon Storage Box at the Pokemon Centre, but it didn't feel right parting with it.

Exiting the building, she stepped back outside and took in a deep breath. Bugsy had mentioned GoldrenRod was her next destination and to get there she needed to pass through Ilex Forest. He had mentioned something about the move Cut as well. Cut sounded like a move a Bug-type Pokemon could use. But where to find one? She hoped there were many creepy bugs in the forest otherwise she'd never get out of here.

She made way for the forest, her stomach muscles tightening as she neared it. Stopping at the boundary, she arched her neck back and gazed at the entrance. It looked unfriendly and extremely quiet. The absence of birdsong sent a shudder down her spine. What kind of creepy Pokemon lived in here, she thought.

Taking in another mouthful of air to calm her nerves, Lyra stepped inside the forest, her loyal band of three Pokemon tagging behind her. Gible remained in her pokeball this time – she couldn't afford to lose such a precious Pokemon inside the forest again. Croconaw and Bagon flanked her sides while Staravia remained a few steps ahead. The Pokemon's sharp eyes were needed in this situation.

Sweat beads formed on her head. The humidity of the forest was unbelievable. She felt as if she had just taken a really steaming hot bath. Her clothes clung to her skin, as if they had suddenly become a part of her body. Disgusting. What she wouldn't give for nice cool bath right now… As she ventured further into the forest, she couldn't shake off the feeling she was being watched. Every few steps she would stop to dart her eyes at a nearby bush or tree, as if expecting an ambush of some sort. Beady little eyes peered at her through the vegetation. Not human eyes fortunately, but eyes belonging to various Bug-type Pokemon.

"Oh no, this is such a disaster! The boss is going to be so mad when he finds out!"

The distraught voice of an anxious man caught Lyra's attention. Someone was in trouble. Following the source of the voice, she walked ahead ignoring the peering at her. There was a man dressed in a white coat pacing back and forth, muttering. "Can I help you?" Lyra asked, stepping forward with great caution.

The man stopped, turned around and rushed over to her. "You… you are a trainer! Please help me! I was supposed to be taking my boss' Farfetch'd for a stroll in the woods but they got spooked and they ran away before I could do anything! You must help me find them, please!" he begged, looking at her with pleading eyes.

Well, that was a little irresponsible, she thought. "How can I help?"

"The Farfetch'd are roaming around the forest. You just have to approach them from behind and throw their pokeballs at them. But make sure you come from behind – they get spooked easily and if see they see you coming, they will run deeper into the forest," the man said, giving Lyra two pokeballs. "Please don't take too long. I don't want to be here when the sun comes down." A visible shudder raced down his spine.

That was understandable. Lyra didn't want to be stuck here in Ilex Forest at night either. "Alright, I'll do my best."

The man smiled. "Thank you so much! You won't regret this."

"Before I go, can you tell me what they look like?"

"You won't miss them. They're the only two birds in the forest."

She thanked him again. Moving away from the panicking man, Lyra walked further into the forest, cautiously navigating through the undergrowth. Cobwebs surrounded her, hanging down from many low branches. Walking into one wasn't something she wanted to experience so she made sure she walked slowly.

There! Up head! A tiny brown avian! The bird Pokemon was sitting on the grass, holding a miniature stick in its right wing. Lyra crept towards it, after telling her Pokemon to remain in place. "Please stay still," she whispered, clutching the pokeball in her hand. The bird seemed unaware of her presence, seeming more fascinated by its stick.

She crept closer still, now only a few metres away from the oblivious bird. Raising her hand, she pulled back her arm then brought it forward, releasing the ball. The ball sailed through the air and hit the bird's back then bounced off, lying on the ground the Farfetch'd back inside. That was relatively easy, she thought.

Venturing deeper into the forest, Lyra was surprised to find this section was more active than the previous area. It was also much darker, but no dark she felt like she was in the Dark Cave again. She spotted Spinaraks running across branches, crossing the joint webs between different trees. A group of Caterpie were battling against a group of Weedle over some fallen leaves. Metapod and Kakuna hung down from branches, unmoving. She even spotted a few Zubat hanging from some of trees choked by thick vines.

She kept moving forward paying attention to the large amounts of Pokemon around her. It was tempting to catch a few, but there were so many present she was worried she'd anger the entire forest population. Bagon and Croconaw wondered over to a fallen tree to investigate a fallen Kakuna. Lyra followed closely behind a little more cautiously than her Pokemon. Gible shook in his pokeball, eager to get out.

Reaching down to her belt, she pulled out her Gible's pokeball and looked down at it. "Promise you won't be naughty, alright?" The pokeball shook again. It was a risk releasing Gible into such a risky forest, but keeping him inside while the others got to roam free was unfair. She summoned Gible. Gible immediately ran over to join his other friends.

Croconaw touched the fallen Kakuna with his tail. Gible prodded it with his stubby little arms. Bagon sniffed the Kakuna and pushed it with its nose. The Kakuna did not move at all. Was it even still alive? Or had it somehow gotten injured when the tree had fallen? Lyra walked over to the tree, stopping a few feet away from it. There was an opening in the trunk where the Kakuna had fallen. She dropped to her knees and peered inside, coming face to face with a Paras.

A Paras could learn Cut. It had the pincers after all. "Bagon, use Bite!" Bagon jumped forward to attack the Paras, but Gible attacked instead, pushing the other baby dragon out of the way. The Paras winced as it was struck and hid deeper into the trunk. Gible stuck its head in the trunk, trying to get at the Paras.

"Gible!"

Once Gible heard his name, he stopped moving. He tried to pull himself out but found he couldn't. His massive jaw had gotten stuck in the slightly smaller hole. Gible panicked and frantically started to move. Gible repeated his name several times over, becoming more agitated with each passing second. Lyra placed her arms around Gible's waist and did her best to pull him out. Noticing Lyra's struggle, Croconaw and Bagon assisted, tugging Lyra back.

She clenched her teeth, planting her feet firmly into the ground, pulling with all her might. Eventually, their combined effort freed the Gible from its stuck position. They tumbled backwards onto the grass. "Gible!" Lyra scolded, glaring at her sulky dragon. Gible lowered his head, sulking. "How can I let you out of your pokeball if you get yourself into situations like that?" she added, in a gentler tone.

The disciplinary session came to an abrupt halt. In the corner of her eye she spotted the fallen Kakuna shaking back and forth. Evolution time. She glanced up and spotted some of the other Kakunas shaking. "Run!" she exclaimed sprinting forward, stopping only once to ensure her Pokemon were following behind her. They were. The Paras that had been hiding was also on the run. It was a little injured though so it was fleeing at a much slower pace.

Lyra stopped, turned back and threw a pokeball at the Paras. The ball rocked to the left, then right then to the left again and paused for three seconds. The Paras remained inside. There was no time for celebration though - she could hear the sounds of angry Beedrills in the background. She continued heading forward until she heard some soft chirping sounds.

It just had to be another Farfetch'd. The avian glanced back in her direction, prompting Lyra to duck behind a bush. Parting the leaves, Lyra peered through the open hole, spying on the Farfetch'd. The Pokemon was looking in a different direction now. Slowly, she rose from behind the bushes, fingers clasping the Farfetch'd pokeball. She counted to three seconds before throwing the ball.

The Farfetch'd returned to its pokeball. Lyra sighed with relief. Thank goodness for that. She backtracked her steps, returning to the place the Kakuna had fallen. There were no Beedrills around anymore, but she knew they were there somewhere in the forest, searching for the trainer that had disrupted their peace.

Without wasting more time, she continued retracing her steps until she found the man who had lost the Farfetch'd. "I found the Farfetch'd," she said, returning the balls to the man.

He took them back eagerly, throwing them both onto the ground, summoning the two birds. "You actually managed to find them… thank you so much for doing this! Oh, here is the boss!"

Another adult man walked towards her, wearing a round sun hat. "Ah, my Farfetch'd. I take it you lost them again?" he said, glancing at the other man's relieved expression. "Nevermind. The important thing is that this trainer found them. For your efforts, I want to give you this HM, Cut. Teach it to one of your Pokemon and you'll be able to cut down the vines blocking the path to Goldenrod. Thanks again! You did me a real favour!" The two men left, retreating back to Azalea Town.

Lyra was pleased she was able to move forward now and put this behind her. She summoned her Paras and gave the Pokemon the HM potion containing Cut. The Pokemon lapped it up eagerly, seeming to enjoy the taste. "You're local to this forest. Could you lead us to the vines?" Paras nodded and headed back towards the fallen tree. There were still no signs of the Beedrill around, so they continued moving forwards, returning to where the second Farfetch'd was.

Paras veered to the left, then moved north towards a mass clump of vines blocking a path. "Okay, Paras. Use Cut on those vines!" Lyra ordered.

Her new Pokemon leapt forward, snipping the vines with its pincers. It didn't take long for the Paras to cut down all the vines allowing Lyra and her other Pokemon to move through. Once they reached the other side, Lyra found another Kimono Girl standing a few feet away. The lady was walking around in circles, murmuring to herself, a troubled expression on her delicate face.

"Do you need any help?" Lyra called out.

The lady turned around. "Oh, a Pokemon trainer! I was taking a stroll through the forest and I accidentally took a wrong turn. I do not know which direction to take to leave this place. Do you know where to go?"

Lyra shook her head. "I've never been here before," she admitted.

"Then we are both lost." Paras waved its pincers in the air. The Kimono Girl looked down with raised eyebrows. "Oh? What's this? You know where the exit is? What a smart Pokemon!" she gushed. Paras led the Kimono Girl to the furthest path on the left, Lyra following close behind. "You were willing to show a stranger the way out of the forest… what kindness… will it be enough though?"

"I don't understand what you are talking about," Lyra said.

"All will be explained in due time, dear girl. But I must depart this place and seek out my sisters. Thank you again for your kindness." She bowed gracefully, and left the forest. Lyra was quite prepared to leave herself when she saw a mass group of trees shaking nearby. She decided to investigate.

It wasn't a Pokemon causing the trees to shake; in fact, it was a rather solid man shaking them, simply by ramming into the tree with his head. What the heck? Lyra thought, rushing over to check if the man was alright. Perhaps he was mad? "What are you doing?" she called out.

The man looked up, wiped his mouth with the back palm of his hand, and gave her a cheeky grin. "It's a move called Headbutt. It's a great move that has uses both during and outside battle. If you see a Pokemon hiding up in a tree, use Headbutt and it'll fall down so you can capture it. Here, show me one of your Pokemon and I'll teach it the move."

Well, that sounded like a useful move. "I would like you to teach Bagon." Bagon needed another decent move aside from Bite anyway.

"Alright then, just give him this TM potion and your Bagon will know how to use Headbutt in its next battle! If you have any other Pokemon you'd like to learn this move, come back and see me!" He rammed into the tree again. Lyra shook her head and moved away, heading towards the exit. Some people were just plain crazy.

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Coming up soon – Lyra's epic showdown with that damned Miltank! Hopefully, you're not being bored to death with the constant battles – I am trying hard to keep them interesting so this doesn't happen.

On a separate note, would you be interested in listening to the soundtrack I have compiled? It's basically just a listing of songs I felt captured the mood of the story. Battling themes, character themes, location themes… you get the idea. If you're interested, let me know and I'll post the video up on my YouTube account.

See you in a couple of days with the next chapter! Hope you are enjoying it so far.

Oh, one last note - the last two spots on Lyra's team will be filled by native Johto Pokemon! These will be revealed in a few chapters time.

Reviews are much appreciated, as always!


	13. Exploring Goldenrod City

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Pokemon unfortunately

**Title**

Divine Destiny

**Summary**

Three years have passed since Team Rocket fell apart, but now they have returned under the leadership of a new ruler. While evil spreads, a young female called Lyra begins her journey and is destined to become the region's saviour, but it's not a path without obstacles. Lance/Lyra, game verse with a twist.

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to Kitsunekit75, The Fading Author and WorldNerd12 for reviewing the previous chapter : )

**.**

**Chapter Twelve: Exploring Goldenrod City**

The road to Goldenrod City seemed so close, yet so far away. What looked like week's journey travel on map actually took about a month to reach. It was night time now and weariness had gripped her mind and body. All she wanted to do was lay down and get a good night of sleep, but she couldn't do that out here in the open. So she forced herself to keep moving, her tired Pokemon lagging behind her. Bagon suddenly collapsed from weariness, prompting Lyra to recall all her Pokemon back to their pokeballs.

She continued moving forward, fighting hard to keep her eyes open. A yawn escaped her throat as she trudged forward at snail pace, hoping the Goldenrod entrance gates were not too far away. She lifted her weary head and spotted a house with a red roof just a couple of metres away from where she was standing. There was an elderly man standing outside.

"Lyra, dear girl! Please come over!"

Lyra raised an eyebrow. Who was this old man? And how did he know her name? Cautiously, she walked over. "Um, hello?"

"Don't you recognize me? I'm Ethan's grandfather!" The old man squinted.

Embarrassment flooded Lyra's face. "Oh! I'm sorry," she blurted. "I didn't recognize you…"

The old man smiled, giving a hearty laugh. "No need to apologize, I was just joking with you. It has been a long time. I last saw you when you were just three years old."

"Grandpa!"

Lyra turned to the front door of the house and found her old childhood friend Ethan standing there with his Marill. The Marill had a few dirt patches over its white belly and Lyra wondered exactly where Ethan had spent the past few days at. He turned to her now, giving his friend a broad smile. Lyra welcomed her friend with a warm embrace. It felt good to be around someone she knew. "Ethan, so glad to see you again!" she said, stifling a yawn.

He hugged her back then pulled away. "You look so much stronger now. I guess you've gotten the first two badges then."

"It wasn't easy, but we persisted," Lyra admitted. She glanced up at the roof. "So what is this place anyway?"

"The Pokemon Day Care Centre," Ethan explained. "Come inside, my grandmother and grandfather can tell you more when we're seated. My grandmother makes the best apple pie." He headed back inside the house with his grandfather and Lyra followed, closing the door behind her. The three of them sat down at the table where the grandmother already was.

"You have grown up so much," Ethan's grandmother said. "I remember when you were just a little girl."

"It has been awhile." She cleared her throat. "Ethan said this is the Day Care Centre."

The grandmother nodded. "Yes. We raise Pokemon here. If you have any Pokemon that you would like to raise you can leave them here. You can leave two Pokemon here at any time. Sometimes they'll even have an egg together."

That reminded her of the egg she was carrying in her backpack. She wondered where the Pokemon's parents were. Or had it been an abandoned egg? "That sounds useful," Lyra said. Although truthfully, she wasn't too keen on leaving any Pokemon behind at the Day Care to be raised. She preferred to do itself. That way, she could grow alongside her Pokemon, rather than have someone else to the hard work. Besides, travelling around the world with inexperienced Pokemon was one of the fun parts about being a trainer.

"Do you have any Pokemon you would raised?" the grandfather said.

Lyra shook her head. "Not at the moment, but if I do, I'll be sure to come here," she said politely. "Have you had anyone recently use your services?"

The grandparents exchanged looks until the grandmother responded. "A boy came here a couple of days ago. He had long red hair and a cruel smirk on his face. He gave us a Zubat to raise and he didn't want it back until it had reached a certain level," she said, shaking her head sadly. "It saddens me there are trainers in the world that do not appreciate their Pokemon."

"The look in his eyes... I have never seen so much hatred. I was reminded of Team Rocket," the grandfather said. "The boy did pay us though so we had no choice but to raise his Pokemon to his desired level."

Silver. Lyra's fingers curled, digging into the skin on her knees. It had been quite a few days since she last encountered him. She wasn't surprised that he was ahead of her. She wondered if he had struggled against Falkner and Bugsy as much as she had. "I've seen that boy."

"He's the one who stole the Chikorita from the lab," Ethan explained. He turned sideways, facing Lyra. "You need to be careful around him, Lyra. There's no telling what he's capable of doing." He reached down into his bag and pulled out his Xtransceiver. "But we're not here to talk about the thief. I forgot to give you my number."

"Alright then," Lyra replied. In the corner of Lyra's eye, she spotted the grandmother smiling. Ethan must have noticed as well because he was looking at her.

"She's my friend, grandma. You know that."

The grandmother's smile widened. "Girl… friend?" she teased.

Ethan's face turned a deep shade of red. Lyra was sure her face was bright red as well. "We're not a couple," Lyra blurted out at the same time as Ethan. Ethan was her childhood friend. There was no way she could ever look at him as a romantic partner. That was just… ridiculous!

"Trainers exchange numbers all the time, grandma. It's what we do," Ethan quickly replied, his ears red.

His grandparents laughed. "We know."

Ethan grumbled, glancing down at the hands in his lap. He fumbled around with his Xtransceiver and asked Lyra for her number. She entered his details into her Xtransceiver as well so she could contact him at any time she needed some help. Why she hadn't done this before she did not know. The idea must've slipped her mind due to the excitement of beginning her own quest to become Champion. "You should stay here for the night. Goldenrod is all packed out at the moment. A lot of people are coming over from all the cities in Johto to watch Marina perform this weekend," Ethan explained.

"That sounds like a good idea," Lyra replied, yawning once again.

"I guess that means you'll miss out on my apple pie," the grandmother said.

"Sorry," Lyra replied sheepishly. "I'm so tired… it's been a busy past few days." And so it had. Defeating Team Rocket at the Slowpoke Well. Catching and trading Pokemon. Battling Falkner and Bugsy. Surviving Ilex Forest. It was hard to believe only a few days had passed since she had departed on her journey. It felt like a lifetime.

"Just walk behind the desk and enter through the doors. You'll find some beds in there," the grandfather said. "Sleep well, Lyra."

.

Goldenrod was a magnificent city. Tall buildings towered above her, so high it seemed they could reach the clouds. The streets were wide and packed with people of all ages and genders. She spotted a lady with a pram reading her child a story to her left and an elderly couple chatting with some kids to her right. The cities, well more like towns, that she had passed by seemed so miniscule in comparison.

She didn't know where to begin. There was so much to do here. Reaching Goldenrod had been a short, yet difficult walk. A couple of trainers tried to prevent her from passing through and they used Pokemon she had never battled against before. Fortunately, her team had been strong enough to defeat them.

But now they needed some healing again. Instead of wasting potions, Lyra took advantage of the Pokemon Centre. Now she was back in the busy streets of Goldenrod trying to figure out where to go next. She headed over to the city map and examined it closely. "Goldenrod Department Store. Goldenrod Game Corner. Radio Tower. Magnet Train Station. The Global Terminal. Bicycle Shop. Pokemon Salon. Herbalist. Discount Item Shop. Goldenrod City Gym," she read aloud.

Each of the buildings sounded like interesting places to visit. It was tempting to just spend a couple of days here enjoying the sights, but she knew taking the gym on was her top priority. But surely it wouldn't hurt just to spend a couple of hours here? Her Pokemon deserved a rest. She wanted to relax a little.

"Just ahead. Pokeathlon Dome and National Park," she read further. Those locations also sounded interesting. "Alright, that's it. I've made my mind up. I'm going to spend a couple of days here," she said, speaking to her Toto. The Pokemon glanced up giving Lyra a wide toothy grin. It would be good just to sit back and take a short break from all the battling. Besides, a short holiday could do wonders.

She decided to visit the Radio Tower first. Upon entering, her eyes were immediately drawn to a pink haired girl lounging near the counter. The girl seemed to be pretty pleased about something as she had a triumphant grin on her face. Was she a gym leader? No one else in the city had that colour for hair. From previous experience, gym leaders in Johto liked outrageous hair colours. Lyra walked over and spoke to the girl.

The girl looked at her, sizing Lyra up. "You look tough. I suspect you are here to take on the gym leader of Goldenrod? Well, that's me. I'm Whitney. But you won't be able to enter the gym until you answer the questions. So ask the lady at the counter and tell her you want to take the gym quiz challenge. If you pass, I'll let you in. If you don't pass then you're not worthy to take me on."

Wow, what arrogance, Lyra thought. Whitney must be pretty tough to make such a bold statement though. She didn't even say hello. Pouting, Lyra walked over to the counter to speak to the assistant lady. Before she could open her mouth, the lady spoke. "You're here to take the quiz right?"

Lyra nodded.

"Here is the first question. Can you check the Town Map with your Pokegear?"

Er, she thought. She wasn't so sure. She had received the Town Map, but hadn't actually checked if she could view it on her Pokegear. She suspected she could though. "Yes."

"Correct! Okay, second question. Nidorina can only be female. True?"

Again, another difficult question she didn't know the answer to. "Nidorina…" she said slowly, trying out the words. It sounded feminine. "Yes?"

"Correct again! Question three. Kurt, the Poke Ball creator, uses apricots as ingredients?"

Having recently met Kurt, Lyra felt she should know the answer. But she didn't. She didn't talk to Kurt about apricots, they spoke of Red instead. The two answers had both been yes so far though. This had to be a no for an answer. "No."

The woman blinked, surprised. "Well done, not many trainers can answer that correctly on their first try. Question four. It's impossible to use a TM on Magikarp. True?"

Magikarp. She knew what that was. A giant useless fish. Her dad used to go fishing sometimes down at the ocean. Magikarps were incapable of using any other move than Tackle and Splash. "Yes," she answered.

"And finally, in Professor Oak's popular show, Pokemon Talk, is he on with Marie?"

Professor Oak had his own show? Was there anything the man could not do? She didn't often watch a lot of television so this was another one of those times she just had to guess. "No?" she said lightly, hoping it was the correct answer.

"Well done! You passed the test. You may have the Radio Card. This will allow you to listen to the various stations we play here in Goldenrod. You can access the Radio through your Pokegear," said the lady, giving Lyra a chip. Lyra took it and placed it in her bag then turned around.

"I can't believe you passed the test! Even I got it wrong on my first try," the girl whined, crossing her arms over her chest. "I guess that means you're going to give me a good challenge then. I'll be waiting for you at the gym… farm girl." The girl skipped away leaving a confused Lyra standing still. What an odd character. Whitney looked too 'innocent' and 'girly' to be a gym leader.

Speaking of girly, Lyra figured it was about time to update her look. She didn't want to be called farm girl again. So she hurried over to the Goldenrod Department Store and went inside looking for a cute outfit. There were no signs of overalls available at all. It seemed they were out of fashion in this part of the region.

"Do you need any help?" a lady asked, long blond locks falling down her back. Bright green eyes fixed on Lyra's face.

"Erm, I'm just looking to update my look, that's all," Lyra replied.

The lady stood back, looking Lyra up and down. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "You are a trainer, yes?"

Lyra nodded. "Yup."

"Let me think… those overalls you are wearing are doing you no favours… you are a pretty girl… what can bring out the colour of those eyes… no, jeans will not do in this heat… ah!" The lady's eyes lit up. "I know the perfect dress for you! Come with me, please." The lady motioned for Lyra to follow.

A dress, Lyra thought, horrified. She didn't wear dresses. She didn't think she even had any back at home. What on earth made the lady think she'd look great in a dress? Nevertheless, she followed the blond assistant to the dresses section. There she found herself looking at a large variety of dresses: there was a pink single-fronted coat dress, a navy blue double-front coat dress, a trench coat dress available in beige and black, a pale pink sundae dress, a pale pink frilly dress, a pink sparkly bolero dress, a little black dress and two black high-waisted outfits. So many choices. It made her head hurt just by looking at them all.

The lady picked out the pink single-front coat dress and handed it to Lyra. "This will look fantastic on you! But you need more. You'll need a matching hat… and you'll need a new bag, new shoes… and a new haircut, pigtails make you look childish."

This was rather scary for Lyra. Pigtails weren't childish… were they? But she agreed to follow the lady around anyway, not wanting to look like a 'farm girl' no longer. "I don't need a new hat, bag or accessories…" Lyra said. "I'll just take the dress, the new shoes and the haircut," she added. "I already have a hat and a bag."

"If you insist…" the lady replied, looking a little disappointed. She led Lyra to another part of the store – the barber section. She summoned one of the female hairdressers, a woman with black hair, and pointed at Lyra's brown pigtails. "This girl is a trainer. She needs an updated look if she ever wishes to impress the Champion."

"Oh, I doubt she'll be able to attract _him._ No girl has ever caught his eye."

"Hmm, you are right. But it doesn't stop us women from trying though, does it?" the dark haired lady replied, laughing.

The blond touched Lyra's pigtails, pulling on them roughly. "So, what can you do with her hair?"

The other lady looked thoughtful. "Well, her hair is already quite short so there's not much else I can do. I think she could pull off the bob look quite well though." The blonde nodded. "I'll get started straight away then." Lyra's head was soon attacked with scissors, shampoo, conditioner and various other hair products, as the dark haired lady fixed up her hair. Lyra could hardly recognize herself.

"Oh you look so cute!" The blonde gushed.

"I think even the Champion might have trouble averting his eyes."

"At least she doesn't look like she belongs on the farm anymore."

"You may stand now." Lyra stood up. "For the haircut and the dress, it's going to cost you four thousand dollars."

Lyra's stomach did a backflip. Four thousand dollars? That was a lot of money for a dress, some new shoes and a haircut. Fortunately, she had the right amount of cash… but she'd have nothing left over except for a can of beans. Somehow, she needed to earn some more cash aside from battling trainers. She pulled out her bag, dug out her remaining cash and handed it to the women.

Once that was done, Lyra changed into her new clothes, giving the women her old ones for them to discard. She exited the store, occasionally pausing to adjust her dress. The dress' hemline ended just above her knees. She felt so vulnerable like this. Was anyone going to take her as a serious trainer in this outfit?

Only one way to find out. She left the shop, flattened her dress again and walked around the streets again, walking in a random direction. Heads turned to look at her in a way she had never been looked at before. Now this was certainly uncomfortable. Fortunately, for her sake, people stopped looking in her direction, returning back to their activities. Lyra sighed and made her way to the north where the Pokeathlon and National Park were. But to get there she had to pass through Route 35. As with the other routes, she knew there were going to be quite a number of trainers hoping to defeat her.

She summoned her Toto and set foot on Route 35, her mouth pressed into a thin line of determination.

.

After a long road of battling numerous trainers and dodging wild Pokemon, Lyra finally reached the entrance to the Pokeathlon Dome. It was a difficult miss – the building was far larger than any other she had seen. All the eight gyms in Johto could easily fit inside the massive blue building. There were a couple of trainers mingling outside the Dome playing around with their Pokemon.

Lyra took in a deep breath and took a couple of steps towards the building when she was stopped by an elderly man wearing a dark teal shirt and brown pants. He walked towards her, a tough looking Poliwrath standing behind him. He stopped in front of Lyra and grinned. "Mwa ha ha ha! Hmm. I feel it!" he said, getting right in her face. "The twinkle in your eyes! The twinkle of friendship! You're ready to participate in the Pokeathlon, bud! Most of all, your mutual trust and teamwork with Pokemon makes be believe anything is possible! All right. Follow me, bud!"

He motioned for Lyra to come closer towards the entrance of the building. Being this close made her realize just how impressive the structure was. It must have taken many long years for this to be built. "Wow," she gasped.

"What do you think? This is the Pokeathlon Dome! Pokeathlon is a sports festival for trainers and Pokemon! Inside the Dome are various challengers awaiting trainers and Pokemon to test their friendship. Why don't you try it? You're amazing, bud! This is a pleasant surprise! To see a Pokeathlete with strong potential is such a pleasure! I'm glad I held the Pokeathlon here in Johto…. My name is Magnus. We shall meet again, bud. See you, young Pokeathlete!" He disappeared inside the building.

Curious to learn more about this place, Lyra stepped inside the building and was immediately blown away by the interior. There were pot plants scattered around the floor, but it was the jumping glowing lights that caught her interest. They stretched across the navy blue floor giving the place a lively feel. Lyra even noticed that some areas of the floor lit up. A true state-of-the-art facility.

There were three counters in the building. Lyra wasn't sure which one was which so she just headed towards the middle one where two ladies with cotton candy hair waited. She approached the lady on the right. "Hello," Lyra started.

The lady beamed a bright smile. "Welcome! This is the reception for admission. Will you try the Pokeathlon?"

"Can you tell me more about this place?"

"Certainly. The Pokeathlon is a sports festival in which you and three Pokemon compete in three events. The Pokeathlon has a variety of events to accommodate different aspects of Pokemon. Please join us with three Pokemon!"

This was something she just had to try. "I would like to participate!"

"Which course would you like to try?"

"I'll try the Power course."

"Please come this way," the lady said, motioning for Lyra to step through the gates. "The Pokeathlon will begin right now. Your team colour is red. Good luck!" she added, as Lyra walked through the main door. Once she stepped inside, she was greeted to a race course track. In the middle there was a man standing on a raised white platform. Behind him was a giant screen. Lyra looked around and noticed three other trainers standing close by.

"Welcome to the Pokeathlon. Today's event is the Power Course! Who will shine brightest today? Let's meet the competitors! Team Lyra with a Croconaw, Gible and Staravia. The second competitor is Team Yona with a Swinub, Phanpy and Machop! The third competitor is Team Mac with Tauros, Aipom and Snubbull! And finally we have Team Aven with a Clefairy, Jigglypuff and Pikachu! All right, we're ready! Aim for the top! Let's Pokeathlon!"

Lyra sucked in another mouthful of air, ignoring the looks the other trainers were giving her. They all appeared to be dressed in athletic clothing and here she was wearing a dress. She glanced up at the giant screen. The words Block Smash – Fight Dome appeared. Sounded tough, she thought as she followed the other competitors to the Fighting Dome.

She was led to a large pile of blocks. "You have ten seconds to destroy as many blocks as you can!" the announcer said. Toto stepped forward. "Switch out when your Pokemon tires. Three… two… one…Go!" As soon as the buzzer went off, Toto slammed his tail down onto the blocks as fast as he could. She hoped this was making her Pokemon her stronger because it certainly looked rather painful. After five blocks were destroyed, she switched out for her Gible. Gible bit down on the blocks, chewing through them as if they were paper. He managed to destroy five blocks before tiring. Lyra brought out Staravia, who managed to destroy four.

A bell rang indicating the end of the round. Lyra turned around to see the results on the scoreboard and was a little disappointed that she had come second last. The top score had been twenty achieved by Team Yona. "Perhaps I'll do better in event two," she whispered. Although it didn't really matter. She was a trainer, not a poke athlete anyway. This was more for fun than anything else.

She headed off to the next area which looked like some ice skating rink. Large hoops were placed on the rink, each one a different size and colour. Some were rather small, only able to fit in three Pokemon, and some of the hoops were so large at least ten Pokemon could fit. Judging by the name of the event, 'Circle Push', Lyra had a feeling it involved pushing Pokemon out of circles.

"Welcome to Event Two, Circle Push! There will be three rounds. You will be required to keep your Pokemon inside a circle until the timer runs down. The smaller the circle, the more points you earn. Are you ready, poke athletes? Three… two… one… Go!" Lyra's three Pokemon jumped onto the rink and hurried over to the largest circles they could find. All the other Pokemon also hurried there. Croconaw pushed a few of the smaller Pokemon out of the way, but Gible wasn't as lucky, getting shoved out of the circle. Staravia too, got pushed out.

The same cycle repeated for the next two rounds with Lyra only managing to reach a score of ten points, coming last in the event. The highest score of twenty five went to Team Mac. Toto, Staravia and Gible looked disappointed with themselves as they made their way back to their trainer. Lyra knelt down and gave them each a head rub. "Don't be sad. I know you are giving it your best. It doesn't matter if we come last," she said reassuringly.

The expressions on her Pokemon's faces seemed to brighten a little as they made their way over to the final area. This one was designed like a human soccer field, except there were four goals instead of two. It was also much smaller.

"Welcome to the third and final event of the Power Course. This is Goal Roll! You have two minutes to score as many goals as you can, but if you kick the ball into your own, you'll lose a point. Three… two… one… Go!" Immediately, the soccer field turned into a warfield. Pokemon from all different corners rushed towards the ball, while the trainers looked on worried. Well, Lyra was concerned – the other three trainers were shouting orders.

"Knock him out of the way Tauros!"

"Don't let him knock you down, Machop!"

"Clefairy! Take all your opponents down!"

Even human soccer matches weren't this intense. Lyra was concerned about her Gible who was so much smaller than all the rest. Gible struggled to keep up with the other Pokemon, but tried very hard to impress Lyra. Staravia was tackled to the ground, losing a handful of feathers in the process. The avian squawked. Croconaw tried to defend his teammates but was overpowered by the combined power teams of his opponents.

The other Pokemon were pushing so hard, Lyra wondered if they were on the Pokemon equivalent of human steroids. Outmatched and outpowered, Lyra's team succumbed to a loss in the negatives. Negative four. The match was won by Team Mac who managed to score three goals. Lyra's disheartened and broken team, returned to Lyra with their heads down.

"We might lose to them on the athletic field, but we can defeat them in a battle," Lyra said, rubbing a spot beneath Staravia's beak. "I'm proud of all of you. Now, what do you say we pay Whitney a little visit at the gym?" The word 'gym' immediately made her Pokemon look much happier. Lyra chuckled. "Come on then, let's go and earn our third badge."

.

In the second Goldenrod chapter, Lyra faces off against that damned Miltank! How will she fare? Wait and find out! If you're wondering where Lance is, don't worry – he'll return in the next one! As for the clothing part, I took that idea from Pokemon X and Y.

As for ages, this story is set over a course of three years. I'm not going to mention their ages throughout the story because I feel that would ruin the flow just a little, so it's up to you to imagine how old they are. Lyra started her journey when she was 14, not when she turned 14, so she's about 15 now. By the time she gets to Mahogany Town she'll be about 16 and by the time she gets to Victory Road and the Elite Four, she'll be 17. She'll be 18 when she gets to Mt. Silver just so all the trickyshipping stuff is legal, lol. You'll have to imagine a lot of time passes through in between chapters unless there is a gym battle happening.

Reviews are much appreciated, as always! Thanks for reading!


	14. Cry of the Dragons

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Pokemon unfortunately

**Title**

Divine Destiny

**Summary**

Three years have passed since Team Rocket fell apart, but now they have returned under the leadership of a new ruler. While evil spreads, a young female called Lyra begins her journey and is destined to become the region's saviour, but it's not a path without obstacles. Lance/Lyra, game verse with a twist.

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to Kitsunekit75, WorldNerd12 and The Fading Author for reviewing the previous chapter!

**.**

**Chapter Thirteen: Cry of the Dragons**

Blackthorn City was in chaos. The lake in front of the Dragon's Den had flooded, forcing water down the slope and into the homes of the locals. The grounds were so wet several areas had to be roped off to the public because they were far too dangerous to cross. Every shop had two police officers standing guard and even some of the homes were protected. The word of stolen Shiny Dratini spread around the city like wildfire, prompting many of the locals to remain indoors. And that wasn't the worst of it. The rains continued to pour, growing in intensity with each passing day. If this continued it wouldn't be much longer until people were forced to evacuate.

Lance climbed off his Dragonite and headed inside the Dragon's Den in search for his cousin, Clair. He found her at the entrance pacing back and forth, a troubled expression on her face. "You certainly took your time," she said sourly, shooting him an accusing look. "I guess talking to your special fans is more important than finding the Dratini."

"I didn't have a choice, Marina stopped me before I could escape," Lance replied, defensively. "I'm here now anyway, so drop your accusations."

Clair's accusing look remained, but she explained the situation. "It happened a few days ago after I left you in Azalea Town. Someone destroyed the PokeMart and that same person stole the Dratini from inside the Den. I'm assuming that someone would be a Team Rocket member."

Lance nodded. "It would make a lot of sense. They're after something… and they're not going to stop until they get whatever it is they seek."

"World domination, what else could they want? Same evil just with a different face," Clair replied, throwing her ponytail over her shoulder. "I don't understand why they would want a Shiny Dratini though."

Lance was thoughtful. There were Team Rocket members in the Slowpoke Well cutting off tails off the Pokemon. There were also Team Rocket members messing around with the radio signals which were causing Pokemon to evolve at much earlier levels than normal. Whatever the end goal was, Team Rocket was certainly doing a good job of covering it up. "Ultimate power. Dragons are sacred and mythical creatures. There's no other type that can match up to the offensive power of a dragon."

"But why a Shiny Dratini? I didn't think pink was their colour."

"Perhaps they are under the impression a Shiny Dratini has more power than a normal one," Lance explained, running a hand through his hair. "Whatever they want from Dratini, their intentions can't be good." He strode towards the edge of the Dragon's Den pool of water then stopped to look back at Clair. "Rally your gym trainers. We need to be prepared for Team Rocket's next move." Dragonite jumped into the water. Lance climbed on and Dragonite swum across to the other side.

"I hope you have a plan," Clair called out from across the lake.

He didn't actually, but Clair didn't need to know that. He needed to keep her occupied so she'd stay out of the Team Rocket business. "Trust me," he replied, not meeting Clair's eyes. He heard Clair's retreating footsteps. Once she was gone, he made his way inside their house and found the Elder leaning against a wall, panting slightly.

The man looked like he had seen ghost. He was trembling, his face ashen white. Lance knelt down beside him, looking into his grandfather's eyes. "Lance?" the man gasped, lifting a shaking hand. "Is that you?"

"I'm here," Lance replied.

The man breathed a sigh of relief, smiling slightly. "The… Dratini… she's gone…" He coughed weakly. The entire episode with the Team Rocket grunt had obviously caused the man a great deal of grief.

"I'll find her. I swear on it," he said darkly.

The Elder coughed again. "You must… not be reckless…"

"I'll do whatever it takes to bring the Shiny Dratini back to its rightful home," Lance replied, almost snarling the response. He was the Champion – so why did his grandfather continue to treat him like he wasn't? He was treated better than Clair, but Lance sometimes got the feeling the Elder was disappointed with him.

"You failed to drive Team Rocket out of Azalea Town."

Lance held back a bitter response. "Did one of your 'visions' reveal that to you?" he said sarcastically. Great. Now he was starting sound like Clair. "Clair called me to come here and I assume she did so on the behalf of your request. Did you summon me here just so you could doubt me? Or is this just another one of your tests?" He gave a sardonic laugh. It was a well known fact the Elder enjoyed putting his students through a series of tough quests to learn whether or not, they had what it took to be a Dragon Master. So far, only he had been the one to pass.

But this wasn't a test about being a Dragon Master. It was something else. Something deeper than that. He couldn't quite figure out what that was exactly, but he hoped to find out soon. His grandfather spoke again. "Time is running short… I need to know that you… are fully capable," he replied, taking in deep breaths between each couple of words.

"Capable of what? Defeating Team Rocket? Bringing back the Shiny Dratini?" he asked, dubious.

The Elder leaned back into the wall, closing his eyes, exhaling gently. "It is no secret that my time is running short on this world…" he said softly, eyes staring up at Lance. "Promise me… you will look after Lyra."

Lance drew back, confused. "Saving the Dratini is more important than her." Angry heat poured through him. "Are you implying Lyra is more important than the symbol of our clan?" Lance suddenly found the Elder's hands gripping his right arm. For an old guy, he certainly had quite a firm grip.

"I've seen it in my visions… she is the light in the darkness."

Nonsense! Complete utter nonsense! The Team Rocket grunt had done more than just scare the old man. He had messed with the man's head filling it with foolishness. "So the girl managed to drive off Team Rocket from Azalea Town. That doesn't mean she's the saviour of our region," he retorted, sounding more like Clair with each passing second. He didn't doubt the girl had some skill; she was already showing signs of being one of the region's greatest trainers, but to imply she was the region's _only_ saviour?

The old man's grip tightened his hold unrelenting. "Lyra is the light in _your _darkness."

Lance pried his grandfather's fingers off him. "What are you talking about?"

"I have tried hard to raise you and Clair to be the finest trainers in the region… but both of you are blinded by your own arrogance. I had hoped you would understand better… that power isn't everything. I thought you may have learned something from your… past mistakes…"

A muscle jerked in his cheek. He didn't like being reminded of those 'past mistakes'. "Of course I understand. I'm the only one that passed your test."

"And the Shiny Dratini refused you."

Lance snorted. So what? He didn't want a dragon with pink scales anyway. "I don't see the point in any of this. I could be out there now searching for the Dratini instead of wasting time talking to you." He was well aware that he was pushing the boundaries here – this was his grandfather after all, a well-respected member of the Blackthorn dragon clan. He had never heard anyone say a bad word about the man.

"Then tell me - why are you still here?"

His mouth tipped ruefully. "I had hoped to find answers. I assumed wrongly."

"You returned because you hoped to prove your own self-worth… by finding the Dratini because Lyra had defeated Team Rocket in Azalea Town… am I not correct?" Lance didn't say anything. His grandfather continued. "As the Champion of this region, you feel honour bound to defend your homeland from evil. When someone else takes that chance away from you… it makes you feel doubt and fear."

Agitation levels were growing. It was taking all of Lance's willpower not to start shouting. "Red gave the title to me to continue his work. He didn't give it to Lyra."

His grandfather paused. "What are you afraid of?" he challenged.

"I'm not afraid of anything." What _did _he have to be afraid of anyway? He had a powerful team of six fully evolved dragons at his side that would do anything for him if he commanded it.

"Everyone… is afraid of something."

He clenched his hand. "I guess I'm just a special case then," he replied, angry.

Sighing, his grandfather shook his head. "You can argue against me all you wish, but I know you better than anyone else… I know you better than you know yourself. You will keep searching for a way to prove your worth, but you will not find it by pursuing Team Rocket… I see that now. I made a mistake sending you to investigate the well."

"You can't stop me."

He shook his head again. "No, I can't."

"Then I'm glad we've come to an understanding." Lance turned around, cape flapping behind him. Returning to Blackthorn to find answers to his questions had been the wrong decision to make. "You think you know me well… but you don't, and you never will either." He exited the house, slamming the door behind him. His grandfather could only look on through saddened eyes.

.

After spending a few long hours battling wild Pokemon for much needed experience points (Lyra counted at least twenty fainted wild Pokemon), Lyra stopped at the Goldenrod Pokemon Centre to rest up her team. Once her Pokemon had a short rest, she made her way to the Goldenrod Gym, thinking about the types she could possibly face. If the wild Pokemon in the area indicated anything, she was going to be up against either Normal-types or Psychic-types. What type worked well against Normal-types? She had no idea.

She looked down at her team and smiled. The four Pokemon were ready to take on their next real battle after coming last in the Power Course competition. The loss had hit hard – but losing was just a part of life. She bypassed a couple of kids running up and down the street as she closed the distance to the gym. The closer she came, the more anxious she felt. But, like with losing, feeling nervous before a major battle was normal. "Here we go," she said, leading the way inside the gym, after returning her Pokemon to their balls. She didn't want her opponents to know how to combat her team immediately, after all.

As with every gym, the gym advisor was standing nearby at the entrance. He immediately rushed over to her, greeting her with a warm smile. "Hey there! Can't say I'm surprised to see you here! You did a fine job of taking down Falkner and Bugsy!"

"Thanks," Lyra replied.

"But now you'll be going up against Whitney. Don't let her cute appearance fool you – she's incredibly tough. This is a Normal-type gym, so make sure you have a Fighting-type with you or a Fighting-type move. Good luck, trainer!"

Lyra didn't have a Fighting-type or a Fighting-move with her. For the first time, she would not have the upper advantage. That was a scary thought. She couldn't rely on just one Pokemon to take the battle then. Strategy was now important. She looked forward, taking in all her surroundings. The interior of the Gym was rather colourful, much like Whitney herself.

The floors had a circle pattern with varying shades of pink and the raised crossable platforms also had a pattern, but they were green instead. There were a few pot plants scattered around the gym, and a few banners hanging off the walls. Lyra noticed the banners had images of rather cute Pokemon on them. She glanced down at her dress. Well, she thought, at least I'm dressed appropriately. She made her way up to the first flight of stairs and moved north.

A rather tall girl with a short mini black dress approached her, flicking a strand of her golden brown curls over her shoulder. She batted her eyelashes at Lyra, her eyes taking in the girl's appearance. She turned up her nose, snorting. Lyra briefly wondered if she had accidentally mistaken the gym for a beauty pageant. "I'm Victora, and I'm going to show you that cute Pokemon are powerful!" said the girl. "Senret!"

An adorable chubby Pokemon appeared from its pokeball, sitting on the ground, small black round eyes peering up at Lyra. It looked a bit like a bunny rabbit; the only main difference between the Senret and a typical bunny rabbit was that the Pokemon had a stripy tail twice as long as its body. It also stood on two legs rather than on four. Lyra quickly pulled out her Pokedex. _"Senret. A very cautious Pokemon, it raises itself up using its tail to get a better view of its surroundings."_

"Cute," Lyra said. She summoned her Gible to take the battle. "But cuteness isn't going to help you."

Victoria turned up her nose at the sight of Gible. "Ew, what a hideous creature. I've never seen anything so ugly before and I've seen a lot. That thing can't be from around here, right?"

Lyra felt a surge of anger course through her veins. Who did this trainer think she was criticising a Pokemon's appearance in that manner? "Gible might be ugly to you, but he's adorable in my eyes," she countered, pointing forwards. "Gible, use Dragon Rage!" She wanted to put this girl down as fast as possible after that comment.

"Senret! Use Quick Attack!"

Senret dashed forward. Lyra was surprised that such a chubby creature could move that quickly. Gible was bowled over onto its back, its short limbs and legs wriggling in the air. Victora threw her head back and laughed. "Ugly _and _weak!" Her laughter was cut short when Dragon Rage hit her Senret, taking it out of the battle.

"Not so weak, right?" Lyra boasted.

"Everyone knows that Dragon Rage is a cheap attack. Why don't you try and fight fairly or can't you do that?"

Now that Lyra thought about, Dragon Rage did seem like a pretty unfair move. It took out a good chunk of a Pokemon's health – it was an excellent move for young dragons to use. She could understand why Victora didn't like it. "I don't have to rely on Dragon Rage to defeat you anyway. Gible, use Bite!"

Victoria called out her second Senret. "Quick Attack!"

Once again, Senret struck first. Gible had just picked himself up from the floor only to be knocked down again. "Gible, use Bite!" Gible rolled itself back and forth until it gathered enough momentum to push himself back up on his feet. He growled, and lunged forward, jaws gnashing at the Senret. Strong jaws latched around Senret's tail, holding the Senret back from attacking.

"Get off him you nasty little beast!" Victoria shrieked. "Use Fury Attack!" Senret spun around, removing its tail from Gible's jaws. It pounced, swatting stubby little arms at the dragon's face. Fury Attack hit three times. Victoria was right about one thing – cute Pokemon could be quite deadly. But cuteness wasn't going to help her win this battle.

"Gible, use Bite again!"

Gible bit down hard on the opponent's tail, this time causing the Senret's eyes to well up in tears. Senret tried to pull its tail free, but was in far too much pain to move. Gible used Bite again, this time succeeding in bringing the Senret down.

"Oh, you meanie! But you won't be so lucky in the next battle! Senret!" Another Senret appeared. Lyra hoped this wasn't going to be like the Sprout Tower all over again where everyone used the same Pokemon. "Senret, strike fast and hit hard with Quick Attack!" Senret obeyed, dashing forward. Gible toppled to the ground, falling on his face.

"Come on, Gible…" Lyra pleaded in a whisper. "I know you can do this." Gible grunted and forced itself up using its massive jaws, as stubby arms were far too short to do anything useful.

"Beauty tames the beast," Victoria said, flicking a dismissively. "You should just give it up."

Lyra gritted her teeth. "I will never give up."

"Senret, Quick Attack!"

"Gible, use Bite again!"

For what seemed like the umpteenth time, Gible fell over onto the ground again, upon being on the receiving end of another Quick Attack. The poor dragon was taking a beating – a physical and mental beating. Lyra wasn't quite sure if Pokemon experienced the range of complex emotions human felt, but surely they experienced emotions of rage, hurt and joy.

But Gible was a determined dragon and wasn't about to quit. He picked himself up and stared the Senret down, lunging forward to take another Bite at his opponent's tail. He bit down hard. Senret screeched, eyes welling up in tears, like the previous Senret before it. And Gible didn't let go. Victoria ordered her Senret to use Fury Attack on the Gible to free itself, but the Senret could not move.

"Finish that Senret off with Dragon Rage!" It wasn't cheap to use Dragon Rage when the Pokemon was already close to fainting. Gible happily obliged, releasing his hold to unleash a mighty purple burst of pure draconic rage. The Senret fainted. Victora's mouth dropped.

"I can't believe that rotten little thing beat my team of cuties…" she murmured.

Lyra moved past the girl, following the path to the east. She kept walking along the raised platform until she reached a flight of stairs leading down. Down below to the south she spotted another trainer to the southern arch way. Hurrying down the stairs, Lyra headed towards the second trainer. This trainer looked similar to Victoria.

"I'm Samantha. My two Meowths' will defeat you!"

Judging by the name, Lyra had a feeling Meowth was a feline. She brought up her Pokedex, waiting for Samantha to summon her Meowth. As Lyra expected, a cute cream-coloured furred feline appeared. She held up her Pokedex to obtain data. _"Meowth. It is fascinated by round objects. It can't stop playing with them until it tires and falls asleep."_

Gible was still eager to fight, so she allowed the dragon to take another battle. Like Victoria, Samantha was repulsed. "I can't believe you'd bring such a gross looking Pokemon into our beautiful gym. I hope he won't drool all over the floor. Go get them, Meowth! Use Fury Swipes!" Fury Swipes was a very similar attack to Fury Attack, Lyra discovered. The cat clawed at Gible's face, but its claws weren't sharp enough to penetrate Gible's tough scales.

"Gible, use Bite!" Gible retaliated jumping forward to clamp its jaws around the Meowth's neck. The feline struggled, clawing away at Gible's face.

"Meowth, use Scratch!" Meowth swiped at Gible's eyes, forcing Gible to drop the cat promptly. Meowth leapt out of the way, hissing.

"Gible's don't know Bite!" Samantha pointed out.

Lyra shrugged. "Mine does. Finish Meowth off with a Tackle!" Time to vary things up a little. Gible's jaw was probably starting to hurt from using multiple bites in a row. What other attacks did Gible know anyway? Tackle. Bite. Take Down. And Sandstorm. Interesting. Unfortunately, Tackle didn't do much as the feline nimbly leapt out of the way.

"Meowth, use Fury Swipe!"

"Gible, use Sandstorm!"

Gible growled, and scratched at the ground with his stumpy legs. He continued digging until there was a nice little hole in the ground. He kicked at the ground, causing grains of sand to fly up into the air. A magical windstorm occurred, hurling grains of sand in all directions. Some of the sand attached itself to Lyra's clothing and face. She wished had bought some sunglasses.

"My eyes!" Samantha whined. "Meowth, use Bite!"

Meowth hissed, swatting randomly at the air, but its attacks did no good. It could not see. Gible on the other hand, seemed at home in the raging sandstorm. The howling sandstorm continued, covering the entire gym area, and trainers, in sand. Lyra made a mental note not to use this attack again. A move was no good if she couldn't see what was going on the battlefield. "Gible, finish the Meowth off with Bite!"

Gible disappeared in the sandstorm. Lyra heard a couple of snarls and a few hisses from both Pokemon. A few seconds later, the sandstorm died down revealing a fainted Meowth on the tiled floor. "Don't get too cocky, I still have another Meowth."

"Then I will just have to defeat that one too."

Samantha dusted the grains off her clothes and summoned her next Meowth. Lyra did the same, running her fingers thought her hair to remove sand. "Okay, Gible, you can take this as well." Gible gave Lyra a toothy grin.

"Meowth, use Scratch!"

"Gible, counter attack with Tackle!"

The two Pokemon collided. Meowth's attack struck its target, but did little damage. Gible easily pushed the Meowth aside with a strong Tackle, knocking the cat a few inches back. Meowth jumped to its feet, pounced, and swiped at Gible's eyes. Gible growled, wincing. He fought back, tackling the cat to the ground again.

"Meowth, use Fury Swipes!"

"Gible, use Bite!

Again, the Pokemon collided. Lyra wasn't even sure why Samantha continued to try. There was no way her Meowth could penetrate Gible's scales. Gible brought the battle to an end with another overpowering Bite. Meowth fainted. Samantha brought her hands to her cheeks and groaned. "Oh no, my precious Meowth's!" She glared at Lyra. "Meanie."

Lyra rolled her eyes and continued to move forward. Time to fight the next trainer who was hiding the northern archway. The third trainer fortunately, didn't look as snobby like Victoria and Samantha. She didn't have the same luscious golden brown longs the other two girls did. "I'm Carrie. My Pokemon is the cutest. Here, I'll show you."

Lyra expected to see another cute Pokemon, but the one that appeared was anything but cute. It looked rather intimidating actually. A pink sour-faced canine with blue spots on its belly appeared. Unlike typical canines, this one stood on two legs, like it were a human. She held her Pokedex up again. _"Snubbull. Although it looks frightening, it is actually kind and affectionate. It is very popular among women."_

Somehow, she found that hard to believe. But then again, she didn't have a Snubbull and didn't have any plans on capturing one either. "Gible, use Bite!"

Gible lunged forward, eager to sink his teeth into Snubbull's hide. Snubbull cried out upon being bitten. "Snubbull, put down that dragon! Ice Fang!" Snubbull's teeth turned into icicles, and the canine bit down hard. Gible screamed and immediately fainted.

"Oh my…" Lyra said. How on earth did that canine know a move like that? Better not use Bagon then. Or Staravia for that matter. It was up to Croconaw now. She summoned her mighty companion, and pointed her finger forward. "Use Water Gun!" Croconaw did as commanded. The burst of water knocked Snubbull over, but it wasn't enough to win the battle.

"Thunder Fang!"

Another elemental fang attack? Darn, Lyra thought. Her Croconaw's battling time had come to an immediate end. She had no choice but to use Staravia and Bagon, and both were weak to Ice-type moves. Staravia was also unfortunately weak to Thunder Fang. She sent Bagon out first. "Bagon, use Headbutt!" Fortunately, her dragon was faster, and dealt a fair amount of damage to the Snubbull.

"Ice Fang!"

Bagon had fainted before Lyra could even say 'Staravia'. Speed was now her greatest weapon against the nasty Snubbull. If she could out manoeuvre its attacks each time then the Snubbull could not land a super-effective attack. It was time for some strategic thinking to come into play. "Staravia, use Double Team!"

"Ice Fang!"

Fortunately, Snubbull was extremely slow and Staravia easily evaded the attack. Lyra breathed a sigh of relief, but she knew luck wouldn't always be in her favour. She had to end this battle quick. "Use Wing Attack, Staravia!" The avian conjured two small funnels. The funnels struck the dog, hard, but still it stood. Would anything put this dog down, Lyra thought.

"Thunder Fang!"

Again, the Snubbull missed. Sweat beads were forming on her head. "Use Wing Attack again, Staravia!" Please hit, Lyra pleaded silently. The funnels hit their target and thankfully, the Snubbull fainted. Lyra almost collapsed on the floor with relief. "Wow, that was close," she said, heart hammering away in her chest.

Carrie looked like she was going to cry. Lyra thought about moving forward, but decided to head back to the Pokemon Centre. Better not to make such a bold move and have her entire team faint. Retracing her steps, she headed towards the Pokemon Centre for a much needed recovery. Once they had recovered, she hurried back to the gym, making her way back to where she had defeated Carrie. There was only one more trainer to defeat before she could face Whitney.

"I'm Cathy! You won't be able to beat my trio of Jigglypuff! Let's have a triple battle, shall we?"

Fortunately, Lyra had already experienced a triple battle. Team Rocket grunts had taught her something useful after all. Three round-shaped pink Pokemon appeared on the field, big wide blue eyes staring into Lyra's face. _"Jigglypuff. If it inflates to sing a lullaby, it can perform longer and cause sure drowsiness in its audience."_

Oh no. A Pokemon that could cause sleep… and there were three of them. This was not going to be enjoyable. "Jigglypuff's, use Sing!" The three puffballs opened their mouths and started to sing. A soothing lullaby filled Lyra's ears. Drowsiness overcame her. She yawned, her eyelids drooping.

"So tired…" she muttered.

Her three battling Pokemon, Bagon, Gible and Croconaw, all yawned as well then fell into a deep sleep. Lyra too, dropped to the ground, wanting nothing more than to have a short nap. Her eyelids closed. Soon her mind was filled with scenes of her claiming the trophy from her friend, Silver. She giggled. How pleasant. Silver gave her a hug, smiling at her, brushing her bangs away from her face.

Wait. Silver? Friends? Silver actually smiling? That didn't seem right. Her eyes snapped open. Silver was not her friend. He was a bullying thief. "That trick isn't going to work on me!" she declared. "Bagon, use Headbutt!" Gible, use Dragon Rage! Croconaw, use Bite!" Her Pokemon awakened from their naps and launched themselves at their opponents.

Dragon Rage took out one Jigglypuff. Unfortunately, the other two managed to cling on. "Use Pound, Jifflypuffs!"

The two puffballs pounded the ground with their forelegs, causing a slight tremor in the battlefield. Bagon and Croconaw both shook, feeling the direct impact of the attack. "Bagon, use Headbutt again! Croconaw, use Water Gun! Gible, use Dragon Rage!" The faster she took the remaining Jigglypuff's out, the less tired her Pokemon would feel. She wanted to be close to peak condition when fighting against Whitney. Gible's Dragon Rage took out one Jigglypuff, while the combined attacks of Bagon and Croconaw caused Jigglypuff to faint.

As soon as the battle ended, Gible dropped to the ground. It wasn't from exhaustion though – he was shaking which meant it was evolution time again. Lyra was curious to see what the weak looking Gible would involve into so she looked on with keen interest. The evolution process happened, and Gible grew. He was now a head taller than Lyra, making him the tallest Pokemon in the party. Gible's scales turned dark blue, unlike the steel grey one of a Gible.

Gible's arms and legs grew, now in proportion to his body. His tail was no longer a little stump, but rather a powerful weapon. The Gabite had four fins, one on each arm, one on its back and another on its tails, reminding Lyra of a shark. Horns that resembled jet engines rested on both sides of its head, each with a light blue strip in the middle. Those who had laughed at Gible's appearance would not be laughing at him now.

When the evolution process stopped, Gabite planted his feet into the ground and roared.

.

When he stepped outside the Den, he spotted Clair and a handful of Blackthorn Gym trainers standing across the pool of water. Clair looked at him with impatient eyes, tapping her foot on the grass. Her expression was sour. Perhaps the continuous rain was to blame for a bitter face? "Well? Did you have a good talk with grandfather?" Her tone was thick with jealousy.

"I told him I was going to get the Dratini back, no matter what it took."

"Of course. Everything has to be about you, I forgot."

Lance shot her a dark look. "You can't be involved in this Clair. You're a gym leader. Blackthorn City needs you to protect the city. You can't run after the Dratini. I'm doing this alone."

Clair's eyes narrowed almost into slits. He had seen her angry on many occasions, but never this mad. "Fine," she hissed. "Play the hero. That's the only role you're good at it anyway. Oh wait; you can't even do that right." She turned to her gym leaders. "Spread out and guard every entrance to this city. Don't let anyone in and don't let anyone out."

"But what about trainers seeking their eighth badge?" Mike said.

"Trainers are the exception. They need to show their badges before we let them in. Do you understand me?" All her trainers nodded. Clair took in a deep breath and continued. "Team Rocket is back." There were gasps heard from the trainers. She continued. "And they will attack us again. We need to be prepared for the worst," Clair explained. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get into your positions!"

Some of the trainers rolled their eyes and grumbled, but followed Clair's orders anyway. She was the gym leader after all. As the gym trainers headed to their stations, Clair turned back to Lance. "Don't even think about returning until you've brought back the Dratini. You've made it pretty clear you don't care about this place. You care more about your title than anything else. Get out of my sight!" she snapped.

Clair was being unreasonable, but he had grown accustomed to her ways. She'd soon realize that she needed him and would ask him back in the near future. She always came back to him so he didn't make much of her response. Once again, he climbed onto his Dragonite. It was time to return to the League to inform the other members he was taking a short vacation then he'd pursue his hunt for Team Rocket at the Lake of Rage and hopefully find some answers about the Dratini there.

.

As of this update, I have just completed the epic Lake of Rage chapter!

You're probably wondering why Gible is now a Gabite – how did he get so many experience points so quickly? In between chapter breaks, Lyra battles wild Pokemon and other random trainers. Also, since this team is based off my own SS one, I always made sure to be a few levels above the upcoming gym leader hence why the team is levelling up rather quickly.

And yay, Lance drama! This all crucial to his character development. He won't be like this forever though so you'll start seeing some changes in his thinking in coming chapters.

You may also be wondering, 'Gible doesn't learn Bite naturally!' Lyra's Gible does because he was traded from Dawn. Gible learnt it from its parents. See you in a few days with the next update! Reviews are much appreciated, as always!


	15. Silver Returns!

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Pokemon unfortunately

**Title**

Divine Destiny

**Summary**

Three years have passed since Team Rocket fell apart, but now they have returned under the leadership of a new ruler. While evil spreads, a young female called Lyra begins her journey and is destined to become the region's saviour, but it's not a path without obstacles. Lance/Lyra, game verse with a twist.

**Special Thanks**

Skarrow, The Fading Author and Kitsunekit75 for reviewing the previous chapter! Also, thanks to sunburn-preventing for reviewing chapter twelve.

I hope you guys enjoyed the Lance parts in the previous chapter because he doesn't show up again until chapter fifteen.

**.**

**Chapter Fourteen: Silver Returns!**

For awhile now, Silver had been travelling searching far and wide for that silly looking pig-tailed girl. He caught a glimpse of her back in Azalea Town, but he had also caught the sign of cape boy as well. He wanted nothing more than to challenge the girl to a fight to prove himself as the better trainer, but she kept on moving out of his reach. Besides, the dragon guy was there as well snooping around.

But not this time. He was going to crush her like he had destroyed the other trainers. Scenes of broken trainers flooded his mind, as he walked up and down the streets of Goldenrod. The foolish girl had entered the gym – but he would be out here waiting for near the Pokemon Centre to challenge her to a fight. He wanted to fight her at her best.

He leaned against the wall of the Pokemon Centre, tapping his foot impatiently casting hateful glares at random people. He was becoming restless, waiting for that damned girl to leave the gym. She had been in there for over an hour now. Eventually, his patience ran out and he decided to explore the streets a little. Perhaps he could crush some fool trainer in the meantime.

As he wondered up the street, a man in a black uniform caught his eye. The guy was hiding around the Magnet Train building, with an inconspicuous expression on his face. He seemed to be waiting for someone important, judging by the way he paced back and forth. Curious, Silver walked over to the man.

"What are you doing?" Silver called out.

The man froze and turned around. "It doesn't concern you, kid," he spat.

"I think it does. You see, I'm bored and I'm looking to pass some time. You look reasonably weak so I think I'll challenge you."

The man smirked. "You think I'm scared of you? Just some bratty little kid? Get out of here you little runt. What I'm doing is none of your concern." He turned around again, readjusting his hat. That's when he noticed the skull cross on the man's hat. He knew that symbol well. _Extremely _well. Team Rocket.

"Stay away from that building!"

"Hmph," the grunt snorted, giving Silver a curious look. The corners of his mouth curved upwards into a mocking grin. "What's got you so worked up, little boy?"

Silver's hands immediately flew down to his belt, grabbing one of his three pokeballs. He pulled it out from its holder and threw the ball onto the ground, summoning his Bayleef. "I _hate _weaklings, but most of all, I _despise _Team Rocket."

"How did yo-wait. You're that kid, aren't you? Giovanni's boy? Silver, right?" The grunt tilted his head to the left, giving Silver a hard look. "Yeah, that's you alright. The long red hair… the tough-guy attitude… the same jaw structure… We thought you were dead, but here you are in the heart of Goldenrod City." He walked forward, a maniacal grin on his face. "You could join our ranks, boy. Archer would love to have you on his team. You could be his personal assistant – how does that sound?"

Bayleef stepped forward, lowering his head, glaring at the grunt. Vines slowly reached out towards the grunt as Bayleef came closer. "Giovanni's weak. Team Rocket is weak. I hate the weak. I will crush you and every member of Team Rocket."

"You talk tough, kid. I like that. Your old man would be proud. What do you say you and I work together? We could make this city kneel before our feet." The man extended a hand. Bayleef whipped at the space before his feet, prompting him to jump back. "You're making a mistake, boy. Archer could make you a _king!_"

"I never cared for royalty. They're weak-minded fools unable to do anything for themselves. Bayleef, strike him down now! Use Razor Leaf!" Bayleef sent a flurry of leaves towards the grunt, forcing the man to drop to the ground to avoid the attack. He rolled over onto his back, holding his hands defensively before his face.

Fortunately, this part of the town was quiet. Or at least it was down this little alleyway. Silver towered over the fallen grunt and spat on his clothes. "Pathetic. But I don't expect anything else from Team Rocket."

"This isn't over, Silver! Archer will hunt you down and you _will _work for him! It is your destiny! Giovanni's blood runs through your veins, do you dare deny that?" Once again, Silver ordered his Bayleaf to attack the grunt. This time, the leaves hit their target, slicing into the man's flesh. The grunt held back a scream, but clutched his wounded arm to his chest.

"Blood doesn't bind me to my _father_," Silver replied, spitting the word 'father'. He hated being related to Giovanni. A father should be kind, not malicious and twisted. "You can run back to your _masters _like the dog you are. Tell them this: Silver will crush you. Is that simple enough for you?" He hovered over the man, glaring. "Come on, get up. Don't make me kick you."

The grunt climbed to his feet, and gave Silver a fleeting fearful glance before running off. Silver chuckled then returned to his post by the Pokemon Centre.

.

Walking up to Whitney, Lyra couldn't help but feel rather intimidated. The pink haired girl was examining her nails right now, and speaking into a phone. She didn't catch any of the words, but judging by the growing red tinge in her cheeks, she was most likely talking to some guy. She stopped talking into her Xtransceiver as soon as she spotted Lyra.

"I'll talk to you later, Morty. There's a girl waiting to battle me." She put the phone away and flashed Lyra a stunning smile. "We've already meet, but I should probably introduce myself again anyway. It's the rules, you know? I'm Whitney. Everyone was into Pokemon, so I got into it, too! Pokemon are super cute! So you want to battle, am I right? I'm warning you – I'm good!"

Lyra hoped she was good enough to handle whatever Whitney threw at her. She was confident her team would pull through with a win. Three of them had reached their secondary evolution and they all learnt some new moves. Gabite's newest move was Dual Chop and Croconaw had learnt Ice Fang. Staravia had the opportunity to learn Endeavor but Lyra decided she didn't want it, choosing to stick with Staravia's current moveset. Bagon's moveset also remained the same.

"I like the dress, by the way! You actually look kinda cute now! Not as cute as me though."

Lyra put on a fake smile, as she reached for her first pokeball. She threw it out at the same time as Whitney. A weird looking bipedal pink creature popped out, waving its stocky arms in the air. "What on earth is that?" she mumbled, pulling out her Pokedex. "_Clefairy. The evolved form of Cleffa. The moonlight that it stores in the wings on its back apparently gives it the ability to float in midair." _She put the Pokedex away, concentrating on the battle.

Gabite appeared, staring down at the Clefairy. Whitney whistled at the sight of the proud dragon. "If it wasn't for the sharp teeth and fins, your dragon could actually be considered cute." She shrugged her shoulders. "But enough talk. Let's get this battle started. Your move first, girlfriend."

"Okay, Gabite. Use Dual Chop!" Gabite leapt into action, karate chopping the Clefairy with both forearms. Clefairy stumbled then jumped back into position.

Whitney just grinned. "Clefairy, use Mimic!" A bizarre glow emanated from the Clefairy, which also encased Gabite. Clefairy's eyes flashed red. "Now use Dual Chop!" Lyra wouldn't have thought a Pokemon with stubby arms could inflict so much damage so she was surprised to see Gabite collapse on the ground. "You're still pretty new at this battling thing, aren't you? Dragons are super weak against their own type. Sometimes using the most powerful move isn't the best way to go."

Gabite looked ready to faint. For the sake of sparing her newly evolved Gabite from fainting, she recalled her Pokemon to his pokeball, and brought out Staravia instead. Whitney's eyebrows arched up. "Go, Staravia!"

"You really have a thing for foreign Pokemon, don't you?"

"Staravia, use Double Team!"

"Clefairy, use Mimic!"

Not again, Lyra thought. Was there any move she could use that would be ineffective against her own? She looked thoughtful. Nothing came to mind. Every move she had could be used against her, and with the right strategy in place, Lyra could be defeated easily. She looked at Whitney. The girl was grinning.

"Have you given up yet?"

"No."

"All right then. Don't say I didn't give you the chance to surrender."

All Lyra could really do is keep attacking until the Clefairy fainted. It wasn't like she could do anything else anyway. "Staravia, use Quick Attack!" Staravia dashed forward, striking the Clefairy.

"Clefairy, Double Slap!"

Staravia received two slaps in the face, fortunately the move did not hit too hard. "Counter-attack, Staravia!" Staravia tackled the Clefairy, but missed. Clefairy hit back with another Double Slap, the second slap being a critical strike. The avian Pokemon landed on the ground, too weak to support its weight in the air.

"Clefairy, finish Staravia off with another Double Slap!"

Before Lyra could understand what was happening, her Staravia was lying on the ground, her eyes half-closed. Dammit, Lyra cursed inwardly. Whitney was tough. Much tougher than she had thought. She summoned her Croconaw to the battlefield.

"Toto, use Ice Fang!" That was a move that would be useless to mimic. Croconaw sunk its strong jaws into Clefairy's hide, prompting a squeal to escape Clefairy's throat. The Clefairy flinched unable to fight back. It was Lyra's turn again. She used the same attack again successfully managing to knock out the Clefairy.

"Not bad for a former farm girl," Whitney exclaimed, not at all worried. "Now the real battle starts! Miltank!" A pink rather adorable cow left Whitney's pokeball.

"Toto, use Ice Fang!"

"Miltank, use Stomp!" The cow moved first, stomping her feet into the ground, causing a slight crack to appear on the field. Croconaw fell over, unable to balance himself. "Now Miltank, use Rollout!" The cow stomped again, this time causing a number of rocks to fly out of the ground. The cow rammed into the rocks, pushing them forwards so they would strike Croconaw while he was still down.

"Toto, watch out!" But it was too late. The rocks collided into Croconaw, knocking the reptile out in one hit. Lyra couldn't believe her eyes – had that really just happened? Who had ever thought a cute cow could have so much power? She summoned her Bagon. Miltank used Rollout again. Bagon fainted. Lyra summoned Gabite again, but like the others before it, fell to Miltank's Rollout.

The battle was over within seconds. Lyra looked on in disbelief. How could she have lost so easily? "Don't be so hard on yourself, trainer. Not many people can get past me. Try again later when you're stronger… or quit your journey now and head back home. It's your choice. Bye!" Whitney waved, as Lyra made her way back to the Pokemon Centre. She stepped inside, healed up her Pokemon and exited.

"You!"

Lyra froze. Was someone talking to her? She spun around, glancing over her shoulder looking for the person who had called out her name. She didn't see anyone but an elderly couple walking nearby. Strange. She was about to start heading back to the gym when she was suddenly knocked over onto the ground.

Spluttering, Lyra landed on her backside. She winced, grumbling. A chilling laughter reached her ears. Glancing up, she spotted a boy with long red hair snickering at her. She knew that face. Silver. Immediately, she climbed to her feet. "What was that for?"

"You and I were supposed to battle in Azalea Town, but you were too busy with dragon boy. Is he your older brother?"

Dragon boy? Just who on earth was Silver talking about? Wait. Did he mean that weird guy with the cape and cute Dragonite? Her face turned red. "We're not related!" Heck, they didn't even _look _related.

Silver snorted. "That's a shame. I was hoping to crush both of you at the same time, but I think I'll just start with you first." He pointed a finger at her. "You're not going to defeat me this time!"

So much for having a rematch with Whitney, but Silver's appearance couldn't happen at a better time. This would give her team some extra experience going into the battle against the damned Miltank. Lyra summoned her Gabite to take the first match while Silver summoned his Zubat.

"Are you sure you're not related to that dragon guy?" Silver taunted.

"Positive," Lyra snapped. "Gabite, use Dual Chop!"

"Use Bite, Zubat!" Gabite was faster than Zubat. He jumped into the air, and slashed at the bat twice, bringing it to the ground. She heard Silver curse. "Fight back, you useless Pokemon! Destroy them!" he raged. Zubat weakly gained altitude then dove forward, latching onto the back of Gabite's neck. Bite did little damage though – Zubat's bite was probably just an itch to Gabite. Roaring, Gabite swung around, throwing the Zubat off him. "Dragon Rage!" The Zubat was struck hard by a burst of draconic rage. It fell to the ground, its eyes crossed.

"Why does this keep happening to me?!"

"Well done, Gabite! Now it's your turn to teach this guy a lesson, go Toto!"

"Bayleef! Destroy this chump!" Silver's mascot Pokemon appeared from its pokeball, giving Lyra a menacing glower. "I will not be defeated! Not this time! Razor Leaf!"

Water-types were extremely vulnerable to Grass-moves, but Ice-moves did great damage against Grass-types. "Toto, use Ice Fang!" The leaves struck her Croconaw hard, causing a cry of pain to escape from Toto's throat. But the reptile managed to hang on. Croconaw jumped forward, sinking icy fangs into Bayleef's neck.

The bulky grass Pokemon cried. "Synthesis!" A white glow shrouded the Pokemon. It remained for a few seconds then disappeared, healing all injuries Bayleef had received. "Bet you weren't expecting that. Crush her!"

Not wishing to have Croconaw faint again so soon, Lyra retrieved him back summoning Staravia to the battle. The bird flapped into the air, circling the Bayleef. "I'm not going to let you beat me. Staravia, use Wing Attack!" Staravia emitted a high-pitched squawk, sending forth two mini funnels. The attack was a critical blow and Bayleef dropped to the ground.

"No way… this isn't happening… not again," Silver said, fingers curled into fists. "How can I lose to a bleeding heart like you? How could I lose to a _girl?_"

There was something about the way Silver said girl that made Lyra's blood boil. Did he think females were inferior to male trainers just because they were female? "I don't know why you hate me so much, but I do know one thing for certain – you will never defeat me."

Silver kicked the ground, after recalling his fallen Bayleef. "This isn't over. I'm not strong enough yet, but I will be. And then you'll see – power is everything. I'll make _you_ understand. I'll make _him _understand." A psychotic gleam appeared in his eyes. "I will be the world's greatest trainer!" Before Lyra could attempt to reason with him, Silver turned around and sprinted towards the northern gates of Goldenrod.

Lyra watched him flee, feeling a great surge of pity for the boy. Whatever childhood that boy experienced, it had left him feeling angry and bitter. Heading north didn't actually seem like a bad idea though – some time relaxing at the National Park might do herself and her team some good. They certainly needed a rest. After that, she'd return to claim her badge.

.

National Park had proven to be an excellent idea. The gardens were simply breathtaking. Flowers of many different colours lay scattered around the park, filling Lyra's heart with happiness at the sight. She picked a rose off its stalk and brought it to her nose, breathing in the scent of nature. It'd be easy to spend the rest of the day here simply relaxing in the field of flowers under the shade of beautiful oak trees.

Her Pokemon were certainly were enjoying their leisure time. Bagon, Gabite and Croconaw chased each other through the flowers while Staravia sat in one of the trees, enjoying a brief nap. Lyra herself lay in one of the flower patches, staring up at the clouds above. One of the clouds looked like a Mareep.

She stretched her arms above her head, grinning like a person in love. The past few days had been filled with endless battles – gym leaders, wild Pokemon, gym trainers, Team Rocket, random trainer and Silver – she deserved a break even if it was a short-lived one. She closed her eyes, listening to the sounds around her: the chirps of birds, the buzzing of the bees, the calm sounds of water and the gentle rustling of grass… this was paradise.

"I'm sorry, trainer, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Lyra opened her eyes finding a shadow casted over her. She sat up. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know there was a time limit."

The police officer shook his head. "The Bug-Catching Contest is due to start in thirty minutes. All non-participants will have to leave. You can return once the contest is over though. If you wish, you can watch the competition through the spectator window inside the viewing gallery." He pointed to a little wooden shack in the far eastern corner.

She nodded, standing up. As much as she'd like to hang around and watch, she really needed to beat Whitney. "It's alright."

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Here, take this TM Dig I found just before. You look like you could put it to good use. Good luck, trainer." Lyra took the TM, placed it in her bag and headed back towards the gym. Once back within the walls of Goldenrod City, Lyra pulled out the TM Dig and read the label. "A Pokemon that learns this move burrows underneath the ground and waits for the right moment to attack."

That sounded like it could be extremely useful in her rematch against Whitney. But who could learn it? She summoned her four Pokemon and looked at them, holding Dig in her right hand. Bagon didn't have the right physique for it. Birds didn't live underground. Toto didn't need another move right now. That left Gabite. "Would you like to learn a new move, Gabite?"

Gabite nodded eagerly, wagging his tail. Lyra smiled, and pulled the cap off the potion and gave it to her dragon. The dragon drank the brown liquid until the entire bottle was empty. "Let's put that new move to good use against Whitney." This time she would win.

.

"H-hey! Just one left? But… I ain't losin' you hear?" Whitney stuttered, as her Clefairy fainted. Giving Gabite the TM Dig had been an excellent decision. Although he still sustained a little damage when recovering from using Dig, he inflicted a great deal in return. Clefairy didn't stand a chance. But would the same strategy use against the speedier Miltank? Lyra was about to find out.

"Gabite, use Dig!" Gabite dug underground again, using his forearms to dig a rather large hole. The dragon worked fast, throwing mounds of dirt behind it. He jumped down into the hole and continued to dig a tunnel. Gabite would have to rely on the vibrations of his opponent to find the right moment to strike.

One miscalculation and the dragon would leave himself open to a vicious counter-attack. "Miltank, use Stomp!" Miltank walked back and forth, stamping its feet into the ground, trying to lure the Gabite out from his hiding spot. Lyra had to give Miltank some credit – the cow was extremely persistent and never seemed to tire. But her Gabite was also determined to win the match.

Miltank suddenly came to a stop, scratching at the ground. Gabite had most likely been detected. Lyra held in her breath. "Miltank, use Stomp again!" Miltank reared.

"Now Gabite! Show yourself!"

A hole opened beneath the Miltank's feet and Gabite leapt out from the hole headbutting Miltank in its belly. The Miltank fell over, failing to land properly on her legs. "Dual Chop!

"Rollout!"

The Pokemon clashed. Gabite was larger than the Miltank, but the cow was rather strong. Both Pokemon held their ground until the Miltank suddenly pulled back. Whitney rushed forward and gave her Pokemon a much needed Super Potion, allowing the Miltank to heal its wounds. Lyra decided to do the same and gave her Gabite his very first Potion. She made a mental note to herself to use Potions more often.

"Miltank, use Rollout!"

Miltank's Rollout seemed to inflict more damage each time it was used. Another hit like that and Gabite would be out of the match. "Gabite! Dodge!" Gabite evaded the moving rocks, throwing himself out of harm's way. "Use Dragon Rage!" The move struck its target but Miltank had enough health to sustain the entire blow.

"Poor me!" Whitney exclaimed. "Miltank, use Milk Drop!"

The Miltank produced some milk from its udder, which fell to the ground, creating a tiny pool. Miltank lowered her head and lapped some of it up recovering her health. Lyra really hated moves like that. And Victoria had called Dragon Rage a cheap move. "Dual Chop!"

"Rollout!"

This time, Gabite wasn't able to avoid the rocks. Fortunately, he was still able to land a critical hit on the Miltank. Gabite landed on the ground, breathing heavily. "Miltank, use Milk Drop!" Again the cow healed itself. Would anything bring that damn cow down? Gabite was now on the brink of exhaustion so Lyra called him back, bringing out Staravia to finish the battle.

"Rollout!"

"Double Team!" Staravia jumped into the air avoiding the Rollout attack in the nick of time. One hit of that move and her Pokemon would faint immediately.

"Rollout!"

Staravia dodged the flying rocks then counter-attacked. "Wing Attack!"

"Milk Drop!"

Just how many times could Miltank use that move? She hoped Whitney couldn't use it again otherwise she'd never win this battle. Surely it had to be considered cheating for a Pokemon to be able to naturally heal itself during battle over and over again? "Quick Attack!" Staravia struck first this time, slamming into the cow's left side. The cow bowled over.

"Milk Drop!"

Lyra tightened her jaw. Her attacks must be doing some form of damage if Miltank had to keep healing itself. "Just a little bit longer, Staravia. You can do this. Use Wing Attack!"

"Ugh!" Whitney exclaimed. Miltank's legs gave way, and the cow fell to the floor, mooing softly. The cow had run out of milk to drink and no longer could heal herself for the remainder of the battle. One more hit - that's all Lyra needed and she'd win that Plain Badge. "Come on, Miltank! You can still win this. Use Rollout!"

"Evade!" Staravia veered a sharp right, avoiding a flying rock. "Quick Attack, now! Give it everything you've got!" Staravia's eyes met Lyra's and the bird nodded, before swooping. The bird slammed into the side of the Miltank, knocking the cow over, earning a satisfactory cry of pain. This time, Miltank did not stand up.

Lyra threw a fist into the air. She was another step closer to becoming the Champion! "Waaahh! Waaahh!" Lyra's head jerked towards Whitney. The girl was… Crying? Crying hysterically. Tears were streaming down the girl's face like a waterfall. "You meanie!" Whitney sobbed even louder, her cries bouncing off the walls off the gym.

Lyra just stood there. What now? She couldn't leave without getting that badge. After all, she had earned it. But Whitney was in no state to demand the badge. She'd probably just cry even louder. Sighing, Lyra turned around. Maybe she'd come back later…

"Don't go," said one of the gym trainers, as she approached Lyra. "Whitney doesn't lose very often. It's hard for her to accept. She'll calm down soon though. Go and ask her again." The trainer pointed to Whitney.

Lyra walked back over stopping to stand in front of the weeping gym leader. "Whitney," she started.

Whitney wiped her eyes. "What do you want? A Badge?" she sulked, wiping away another tear. Oh, right. I forgot. Here's the Plain Badge you earned. The Plain Badge lets your Pokemon use Strength to push those annoying boulders out of your way. Oh, you can have this, too! It's Attract!" she said, handing Lyra a pink potion. "It makes full use of a Pokemon's charm. Isn't it just perfect for a cutie like me?" She sniffed again.

Lyra looked down at the Plain Badge. It was a yellow square with silver edges. She placed it in with her other badges and gave Whitney a kind smile. "You were great, Whitney."

Whitney seemed to have recovered from her loss, giving Lyra the same smile in return. "So were you, I guess. Don't go losing to anyone else now."

"Where should I head next?"

"You want to head to Ecruteak City next, that's just off Route 37. Just keep following the route and you'll find a tall tower. That's Bell Tower. You'll learn more about it when you get there though. Make sure you drop by the gym. Say hello to Morty for me." She surprised Lyra by giving the girl a hug. "I'm sorry for my outburst. I should've controlled myself better. Go on, do me proud!"

Whitney wasn't so bad after all, Lyra thought, as she exited the gym. The gym leader had mentioned getting onto Route 37. To get there, she needed to walk through the National Park then get onto Route 36. She smiled down at her team. "Are you ready for another long walk?" The eager sounds her Pokemon made gave her the answer she needed.

.

Three badges claimed, and five more to go! I apologize if the battles are dull – I will try and make them more exciting in future chapters. I also apologize if my writing style bores you to death. I'm not exactly a good writer so you'll have to bear with me for a bit longer. As for Lyra's character growth, I hope that overtime as the chapters' progress, you'll see her become more confident in her abilities. See you soon! Reviews are much appreciated, as always! Let me know how you think the story is progressing!

Other HG/SS stories you should check out (they are far better than 'Divine Destiny'):

Before the Fame, by WorldNerd12. Starter is Cyndaquil. Eventual Lance/Lyra friendship.

Unexpected Importance, by sunburn-preventing. Starter is Chikorita. OC based, no pairings so far.

The Chosen Ones, by Kitsunekit75. Starter is Cyndaquil. OC based, eventual OC/Lance.


	16. Ulterior Motives

**Disclaimer**

I do not own Pokemon unfortunately

**Title**

Divine Destiny

**Summary**

Three years have passed since Team Rocket fell apart, but now they have returned under the leadership of a new ruler. While evil spreads, a young female called Lyra begins her journey and is destined to become the region's saviour, but it's not a path without obstacles. Lance/Lyra, game verse with a twist.

**Special Thanks**

Thanks to Kitsunekit75, WorldNerd12, The Fading Author and Skarrow for reviewing the previous chapter!

Super fast update, everyone! I hope you don't mind these quick updates. This chapter officially marks the halfway point of this story. I'm so keen for you guys to read the rest of the story (which is very close to being finished right of this moment), that I just had to upload this now. Happy reading!

.

**Chapter Fifteen: Ulterior Motives**

Wrapping his purple scarf around his neck, Morty walked to the foot of the Bell Tower and glanced up. Every day he would visit the tower bright and early, hoping he would catch a glimpse of the legendary bird Pokemon, Ho-Oh. Three years ago, the Pokemon had revealed itself to Red, and served the trainer for a number of months until Red disappeared, releasing the bird back into the wild.

For three long years, the Bell Tower had been empty. It had become a home for Rattata's during the day and Ghastly's during the night. The Kimono Girls often said the legendary Pokemon would only return for a pure-hearted trainer. Morty didn't believe in the girls though; he was a pure-hearted trainer and Ho-Oh had not revealed itself yet. Perhaps he was lacking something though he could not be sure what that was exactly.

"Do you really think Ho-Oh is going to show itself to you?" a voice said behind him, pulling Morty out of his thoughts.

Morty glanced over his shoulder and spotted his old friend, Eusine, standing nearby. Eusine was a trainer as well, but his goals were different from Morty's. He had become a trainer to so he could travel the world, learning more about the legendary Pokemon. Morty, on the other hand, became a trainer so he could maximise his bond with his Pokemon so Ho-Oh would return. "I don't understand. My heart is pure. Why hasn't Ho-Oh revealed itself?"

"Perhaps we're missing something," the man replied, stroking his chin thoughtfully, gazing up at the Bell Tower in wonder.

"You tell me. You're the expert."

There was a brief pause. Eusine seemed to be in deep thought. Finally, he spoke. "Come with me to the Burned Tower. I want to show you something."

Morty lifted a blond brow, giving his friend a quizzical look and laughed derisively. "What is it this time? Another funny shaped rock?"

The researcher glared. "I believe you will find it interesting." He headed towards the Burned Tower, a clipboard and pen in his hand, Morty following close behind. A gentle breeze blew through the city, causing a few bronze leaves to fall off their trees. Morty managed to catch one. They entered the Burned Tower and stepped inside.

The Burned Tower had once been a magnificent structure until a devastating fire destroyed the building one hundred and fifty years ago. Now it served as a memorial site to remind locals and tourists of the tragic events that had happened here. "Have you brought me here to remember the fallen?" Morty said, standing beside Eusine.

"Look down below. What do you see?" he said, edging forward towards the large gaping hole in the centre of the building.

Morty glanced down. His eyebrows arched up. There were three Pokemon standing in triangle formation on the bottom floor which once served as a basement. But they were not ordinary Pokemon – they were in fact the three legendary elemental cats of Johto. Raikou, Entei and Suicine. "This is a dream…" he murmured, rubbing his eyes. But the felines were still there. "What…"

"This is a sign, is it not? Don't you feel it in the air?" He held his hands up, eyes full of excitement. "There is a change. These cats haven't been seen since Red captured them… but now they stand before us." Eusine gripped Morty's shoulder and brought him closer to the edge. "They have returned home for a reason. Ho-Oh has returned."

Morty pulled himself free, jerking his shoulder roughly. "If Ho-Oh had returned don't you think the Kimono Girls would've said something?" He glanced back down at the legendaries, rubbing his chin. "Are you sure you're not mixing dreams with reality again, Eusine?" He turned back to the other man.

"You doubt my research, but I know I'm right. You believe you are the pure-hearted trainer they are searching for – I think I am the one they want." He lowered his hands. "I have spent most of my life researching the legendary beasts for this moment to happen."

"Have you forgotten who you are talking to? I'm the gym leader of Ecruteak City." Morty glared at Eusine.

"And what has being a gym leader ever done for you?" Eusine snapped. "It has not brought you closer to Ho-Oh or the other legendary beasts," he added, heatedly. "You should join with me, Morty! We could travel Johto and Kanto following the legendary beasts! What say you?"

Morty shook his head. "My place is here within Ecruteak City. I will not abandon this city."

Eusine snorted. "Then you leave me no choice. I will continue to pursue the legendary felines alone until the legendary sees that I am worthy of its power."

"And what will you do if the Pokemon does decide to submit to you?" Morty replied, narrowing his eyes. Eusine was playing a dangerous game – the man was foolhardy! "You are not a sound trainer, Eusine. Is it not true the legendaries challenge trainers to see if they are truly worthy? I have not forgotten how you lost to me and that was well before I became a gym leader."

"They _will _be mine. I will not stop until I reach my goals." He turned around and stormed out of the tower, muttering a string of curses. Morty sighed, shaking his head. Eusine's plan was only going to end in disaster.

.

Lyra's journey to Ecruteak City had been quite a lengthy trek, filled with battles and some very close calls. But the journey had also been filled with excitement – she found a new Pokemon to add to her team and this time it was a native Pokemon to Johto. A young female Growlithe to be precise. The Growlithe was very affectionate, spending a lot of time trying to catch Lyra's attention. The tiger-striped canine loved being scratched just under the chin and also enjoyed licking her hands.

The canine was now running around in circles around her legs, barking. Lyra just laughed at the sight. The adorable little canine never seemed to run out of energy. "Settle down, Growlithe, we've still got a fair way to go yet before we reach the next city," she said, in between laughs.

Growlithe panted, resting at her feet, tongue hanging out of his mouth. Bending down, she stroked the canine on her head, earning an appreciative lick in response. She continued playing with her new friend when her Xtransceiver rang. Quickly, she answered it. Ethan was calling. "Hello," she said.

"Congratulations, Lyra!"

She was lost. "Congratulations?"

"You don't listen to the news, do you? You saved the Slowpoke in Azalea Town! It was mentioned briefly in an interview with Kurt. You are a hero now… well, a heroine. I'm so glad that I get to call you a friend. You have to keep me updated on these things, Lyra. Have a good day! Go win another badge! See ya!" Ethan hung up on the phone, and Lyra put it away, chuckling slightly.

What a fine start to the day. Congratulatory thanks from a childhood friend and a cuddle from her new friend. She didn't have any room for another Pokemon right now, but there was still one more she wanted. Not the Paras. And not the Egg Pokemon. But something different. Maybe a cat. She had always wanted a cat of her own when she had been younger.

"Hey trainer! Would you like a special stone?" A young boy wearing some dorky mismatched clothes called.

"I'm not into rock collecting," Lyra replied.

The boy's eyes fell on her Growlithe. "My name is Alan. I collect special stones that help your Pokemon evolve. You see, not every Pokemon evolves by battling."

Lyra's eye brows arched up. "Oh?"

"You heard me." He reached down into his brown satchel and pulled out a bright red rock. "This is a Fire Stone. You can use it to evolve your Growlithe into an Arcanine. But you probably shouldn't use it until your Growlithe is at a good enough level of experience. Arcanine's only learn one new move. So you should wait until Growlithe learns all the moves you want."

"Oh, thanks for that."

She tried to reach out for the stone, but Alan pulled it back, wagging a finger. "I'm not just going to give it to you. You have to battle me and win if you want this stone." Of course, Lyra thought. It was never that easy. He pulled out his only pokeball and threw it onto the ground. A strange looking Pokemon that looked like it was made up of thick blue vines appeared.

Lyra held up her Pokedex. _"Tangela. The vines that cloak its entire body are always jiggling. They effectively unnerve its foes." _Her Pokemon were currently pretty exhausted from all the battles along the long road. All except for Growlithe of course. "Show him what you are made of, Growlithe!" Lyra said. Growlithe stopped rubbing her head against Lyra's legs, and leapt into a battle position. Since Tangela was made up of vines, a Fire-type move should do some serious damage, Lyra thought.

"Tangela, use Bind!"

Tangela's vines emerged from its body, reaching out towards the Growlithe. Growlithe tried hard to avoid them, but there were far too many. Thick vines wrapped around the canine's body, squeezing tight, causing the Growlithe to yelp. "Hang in there, Growlithe! Use Ember!" Upon hearing the command, the Growlithe fought back. A small ball of fire exited her mouth, smashing into the vines wrapping around her body, burning them away.

"Oh no, my precious Tangela! What did you do to him?"

"You know a fair bit about evolution stones, but you don't seem to be aware that Grass-types are weak against Fire-types," Lyra said.

Alan dropped to his knees, the Fire Stone falling to the ground. "I guess I should go back to school…" He looked at the stone. "You can have it. You earned it."

Lyra picked up the stone and placed it in her bag. "Thanks. Erm, is this the way to Ecruteak City?"

"Yeah, just keep heading north. You'll get there eventually. It's pretty hard to miss. You'll see a Sudowoodo blocking the path, but if you have a Water-type Pokemon with you he won't be a problem. If you don't, just head back to the Flower Shop in Goldenrod. Good luck, trainer. Hey, we should battle again some time. I might have another stone to give to you. I'll give you a call, yeah?" he said, pulling out his Xtransceiver.

She nodded, entering her contact details. "Sounds good. Thanks again!" She smiled and said her goodbyes then continued heading north. She expected to see some giant boulder Pokemon blocking the way, but instead saw a tree that looked a bit like a cross between a log and a sausage. It looked at her calmly, as if challenging her to a fight. _"Sudowoodo. Although it always pretends to be a tree, its composition appears to be closer to a rock than a plant."_

Lyra summoned Toto to the battlefield. "Use Water Gun, Toto!"

Sudowoodo was hit with a blast of water. The tree sprung into action, shaking its head. Lyra decided to run past it instead – this was no time for battling when her Pokemon were already so tired. She recalled her Croconaw, picked up her Growlithe and ran past the Pokemon, not stopping once to glance over her shoulder. She made a mental note to herself as she raced north. Never blast trees in the face with water again. Could be a grumpy Pokemon waiting, she noted.

She continued running until she was certain the tree was far behind her. Stopping momentarily to catch her breath, Lyra glanced up only to find the marvellous city gates of Ecruteak City before her. Unlike the other city gates, this one looked rather ancient. The arch way was purple, its tiles sloping downwards.

Taking in a deep breath, she stepped through the arch way, taking a step back in history.

.

Lance arrived at the League in the late hours of the day. Instead of entering through the front door, he landed on his foyer outside his own bedroom. Having two places to call home had its benefits – at Blackthorn he had to share a room with Clair, but here at the League he had a room fit for a King. Dragonite curled up into a ball on the foyer while Lance headed towards the Elite Four chambers.

Could visions be changed? Could he change the future if he followed Lyra around the region, stepping in to take over when trouble arose with Team Rocket? There was one person aside from the Elder that could help answer his questions. "Will," he said, tapping on the Psychic Master's door. "We need to talk."

The door opened several seconds later. "Lance? Strange time to want a conversation don't you think?" he said, removing the mask of his face. Lance rarely saw the man without it on. "What did you need?"

"Can I come in?"

Will stepped to the left, allowing Lance inside his room. Posters of Psychic Pokemon covered his walls giving the place a rather eerie feel. "Something bothering you?" Will said, closing the door behind them.

"I need to know – can the future be changed?"

Will frowned. "The future is always changing. You need to be a little more specific."

"You know that my grandfather has visions of what is to come," Lance started, pacing back and forth. "All his visions have been right up until now." He stopped, turning to look at Will again.

"He saw your defeat, did he? Everyone loses, Lance. Some more so than others."

Lance shook his head. "I don't lose."

"You lost to Blue. And you lost to Red. That has to count for something."

"That was over two years ago."

Will sighed. "So why did you want to speak to me for?"

It was time to cut to the chase. "My grandfather saw in his visions that an old evil would return. He was right – Team Rocket has returned. I've seen them with my own eyes." Will opened his mouth to speak, but Lance silenced him with a glare. "Do not interrupt me. You know that it's my duty as Champion to protect this region from the likes of Team Rocket… yet, my grandfather claims that I will not be the one to do so. He says that some rookie girl will rise up to the task of defeating Team Rocket."

"And you don't like the thought of someone else getting all the glory, especially someone of an inferior ranking. Am I correct?" Will gave a sardonic laugh. "Tell me about this girl, what is she like?"

His jaw tightened. "She's… not bad for a rookie." He hated to admit it. She was probably as good as he had been when he was her age.

"So, what's the real problem here, Lance? Sounds to me you can't handle the idea of someone else being the hero. I never thought of you to be the jealous type. Isn't that Clair's speciality?"

Lance ignored the remark about Clair and continued. "You're a Psychic Master – what do your powers tell you?"

Will sighed, and summoned his mascot Pokemon, a Xatu. "Are you sure you wish to know? You might not like what I find."

"Just do it."

Xatu remained still. Closing his eyes, Will raised his hands, as if protecting himself from something. "Xatu – tell me… what do you see?" The condor-like avian's eyes stared into Will's closed eyes, its face unflinching. Will tilted his head. "It can't be done then? No? I believe you." Will opened his eyes and looked at Lance. "You want to challenge destiny? Your chances are next to impossible."

That wasn't the answer he had been hoping for. "What if you are wrong?"

Will's gaze hardened. "Xatu might not be able to make accurate predictions like your grandfather, but he is rarely wrong. You can't fight destiny, Lance. Of course, you can keep on trying but this is a battle you can't win. If you are still intent on trying though, I would advise sticking close to the girl. Study her, observe. You never know what you might find. Now, is there anything else you need?" Lance shook his head. "Good. Goodnight then."

Lance could see this conversation was well and truly over now, so he exited Will's room and made his way back to his own. He had never been too fond of the Will – the guy wasn't someone he could trust – but he did have his uses. Rubbing his temples, he walked past his king-size bed, and stepped outside on the foyer.

Sleep wasn't going to happen tonight. His head was filled with troubling thoughts. Resting his arms on the foyer railing, he glanced down at the world below. Lyra was out there somewhere, growing stronger with each passing day. She came from nothing yet had accomplished more than he had ever done.

He was reminded of Red. Red too had come from nothing yet he had gone on to become the world's greatest trainer. Would Lyra follow in Red's steps and become a legend as well? Was he wrong to think ill of her? He ran a hand through his hair. Was Lyra the key to finding the proof he so desperately craved?

.

Well, she didn't really go back in time, but it felt like she had. The trees here were unlike any she had seen before – they were not green like all the others, but rather a mixture of gold and auburn. Either the trees were unique here, or autumn had already started without her even realizing it. At least it was cooler but that was probably because there was no sun here. Maybe that's why it felt like autumn.

Arching her neck back, her mouth dropped in awe at the breathtaking sight of the mountain before her. The mighty mountain, Mt. Mortar according to her Town Map, towered over the city, casting a long black shadow over the land. She had never seen a mountain so close before – Mt. Mortar could barely be seen from her hometown. She could see the sun's rays behind the mountain, but the rays never actually reached the city itself.

Pulling her gaze away from the breathtaking mountain, Lyra looked her, taking in her surroundings. It was truly a beautiful place and far more peaceful than the business of Goldenrod. The houses were not fashioned like modern ones, but rather were in the structure of a pagoda. Some of the pagodas were a few levels of high, but the majority had less than two levels. They were also brilliantly coloured – some were green, some were gold and some were even red and purple.

It was a nice change of scenery, Lyra thought. The soothing melodies of bird song filled the air adding to the ambient atmosphere. A ten-foot pagoda caught her eye. It was perhaps the largest building she had ever laid eyes on, being far taller than any building in Goldenrod. Curious to learn more, she headed towards it.

"Excuse me, but this area is off-limits," an old man said, tugging at his neatly combed beard.

Lyra stopped, arching her neck back. The tower looked far older than anything else in this city. "What is this place?"

"This is the Bell Tower, built over seven hundred years ago. This tower was once home to the legendary rainbow bird, Ho-Oh."

"Ho-Oh?" Lyra repeated. "Please tell me more."

The old man seemed surprised. "Over seven hundred years ago, two nine-tier towers were built opposite to each other here in Ecruteak. These towers were built to foster friendship and hope between Pokemon and people. The eastern tower was said to awaken Pokemon, while the western tower was where Pokemon were said to rest. Ho-Oh roosted at the top of the Bell Tower which is the one that stands before you now." He too gazed up, looking longingly at the highest point of the tower. "Then tragedy struck."

"What happened?"

He returned to Lyra, gaze lingering on her face. "A fierce storm came through the city one night, and struck the western tower. It was engulfed in flames that raged for three days. Rain fell, but it was too late – the tower had already burned to the ground. Three nameless Pokemon perished in the fire, but Ho-Oh descended from the sky and resurrected them. They were given names, embodying the three powers: Raikou, the lightning that struck the tower, Entei, the fire that burned it, and Suicine, the rain that extinguished the fire."

Lyra was lost for words. What a sad tale. "That's so sad," she said softly. "What happened to them?"

He pointed to the Burned Tower. "You will the answers you seek in the tower. Go now, and see for yourself." He bowed gracefully and Lyra turned away, heading towards the Burned Tower. The tower no hardly had a roof – only a few scrap pieces of wood remained, providing little shelter. She could see the black marks the fire had left in the wood that remained. If she thought hard, she could almost imagine herself standing in the middle of the fire. Shuddering, she pushed the horrific scene out of her head.

Up ahead, she noticed a blond male standing at the edge, staring down into a gaping hole. She approached him, standing beside the male then looked down herself. There were three Pokemon standing in triangle formation. One was yellow, one was brown and the other a clear blue. "Raikou, Entei and Suicine," the male beside her said softly, eyes fixed on the Pokemon. "They perished in this tower one hundred and fifty years ago. Why have they returned? Could Eusine possibly be correct?" He stroked his chin thoughtfully, not seeming to be aware that he had company.

"They're the legendary Pokemon?" Lyra blurted out. She couldn't believe her luck! Here she was standing in the same building! She pinched herself to make sure this wasn't a dream. The three felines were still there.

The man beside her looked surprised. "Keep your voice down; we don't want to scare them away." He looked back at the legendary felines, then turned back to face his new companion. "What is your name?"

"Lyra," she replied, timidly.

"Well, Lyra, you are seeing something truly special here. This has not happened in a very long time. For the three Pokemon to come here together… I'm sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. I assume you have come here for a gym battle?" Cool brown eyes looked down into Lyra's own.

Lyra felt a funny tingle race down her spine. "How did you know I was here for a gym battle?"

"I haven't seen your face before so I assumed you were a trainer seeking their fourth badge. I can sense you a powerful trainer," he said calmly, eyes still boring into Lyra's own. She shuddered again, feeling a little shaken. "I am Morty-what's this?" he suddenly said, turning to the entrance. A long red-haired boy stood there, pointing a finger at Lyra. Silver again.

"I heard rumours of three powerful Pokemon in the basement of the tower, so I came here to check. I'm not surprised to see you here. Did you hope to make the legendary Pokemon yours to make you look stronger? Hah!" He sneered, spitting at the floor. "It's not going to happen, because I'm going to get them first! I'm going to be the world's greatest trainer, so a legendary Pokemon would be perfect for me."

"Your presence taints this sacred place," Morty said, turning his cool eyes on the intruder. "I ask that you leave."

"I have no quarrels with you. I'm here for _her_!" Silver declared, pointing at Lyra. "I'm getting tired of this wimp showing up everywhere I go. I challenge you to a battle, right here and right now!"

Lyra was more than eager to accept Silver's challenge when she realized she hadn't healed her Pokemon up yet. She had been so caught up admiring the scenery she had forgotten to visit the Pokemon Centre. "I'm not going to fight you, not this time." If only she had visited the Pokemon Centre first.

Silver threw his head back, cackling. "I knew it. You're scared, aren't you? You're too weak to face me so you're backing down."

Morty stepped in front of Lyra. "Allow _me_ to fight on behalf of Lyra."

"What?" Silver scoffed. "You want to defend this weakling?" He shrugged. "All right then. I'll crush you instead. Go Gastly!" A black, spherical Pokemon surrounded by a purple haze appeared. It had a wide, pink mouth with two visible fangs.

"_Gastly. With its gas-like body, it can sneak into any place it desires. However, it can be blown away by wind." _Lyra felt her eyes begin to water. She was briefly reminded of the battle against Koffing back in the Slowpoke Well, although this Gastly created more than just flu-like symptoms. She felt nauseous all of a sudden, and gripped her head to stop the room from spinning.

What happened next was just a blur. There was some shouting, some loud noises and a dash of blue. She tried to steady herself, but her knees felt weak. The Gastly in the room was making her unwell. Silver might not be battling her, but he had found a way to win still. Her knees suddenly gave way, and she fell to the floor, world fading to blackness…

.

Evil cliffhanger! I'm proud to announce that this story will have a sequel! Although Mt. Silver and Red will be covered in this story, it will only be a small bit to start up the sequel because the events that happen in the final chapter of this story, tie all plot points and themes explored.

Anyway, I'd like to hear your thoughts on my portrayal of Eusine – do you trust him or not? There will be more Morty too because he will play a significant role leading up to the final stages of this story (and because I think he's cool so he gets a fair bit of attention). As for Lance, I hope you can see how his thoughts are starting to change. It might not be so apparent in this chapter, but it dramatically change in a few chapters time.

See you soon! As always, reviews are much appreciated!

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